The Games
by JMolover13
Summary: Regina is a single Queen leading her lands with no problem; her court thinks she needs to marry. So, she suggests a competition for her hand. What happens when the White Kingdom enters their little princess, Princess Emma?
1. Chapter 1

**Anonymous asked you: The Evil Queen holds a Battle Royale to select her new Husband. Kingdoms from all over send their Princes to battle for Regina's hand in marriage except for the White Kingdom's entry: Princess Emma.**

**AN: Okay… First off, Anon, I don't know why you have not gone to Queen Nan's story Enchanted. It's far better than anything I could ever bring you. But I like this prompt and I hope you enjoy.**

**AN2: I have been working on this on and off for quite some time and it is still not done. However, I have a ten-chapter head start and I figure if I start posting, then that will motivate me to finish (though I think I am getting close).**

Regina sat straight as she listened to the court go off subject, and make fools of themselves (as per usual).

"Well, it's because she's a woman!"

"She needs a King!"

"No, _we_ need a king!"

"She needs to be married at least. She reigns the only kingdom with a single ruler."

"Does that not make her more powerful?"

"She should be married yes, but _we_ do not need a king. She is the greatest ruler our country has ever known."

That particular comment drew her attention away and made her think a moment.

"She needs to—"

Regina stood, "My Lords, I'm hearing your words, and while I think we can all agree that we have gone completely off topic, I think that I hear your major concerns." She poofed from her perch in the courtroom so as not to disturb her six advisors, three on either of her sides, onto the main floor where the court had argued. "You want me to marry. Yes?"

"Yes." Every single one of them said without hesitation.

Graham her most noble of knights-turned-advisor, leaned from his seat on the perch as low as possible and asked, "Your Majesty? What are you thinking?"

She put a hand up telling him that she was going to answer that as she addressed everyone.

She considered all the middle aged, sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigoted men of her court and wished she could fire them all without causing a big hullaballoo. But she couldn't, so she had no choice but the one she was making.

"I've something in mind. Something you might all like. Something that will make for a good competition between those Kingdoms that need us the most to become the biggest and strongest kingdoms…"

"And what is that, my Queen?" one of them—Lord Sitonmyass-number-7 asked.

"We have a Battle Royale if you will, a competition for my hand." She turned to her advisors, knowing they were talking just as all the other men, but their talk was of concern not of encouragement for this idea, "We shall talk in my study." She gave all six of them a look.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"I'll do it." Emma stood up, shutting the feuding round table up.

Snow and Charming turned to Emma, "You'll do what exactly?" Charming asked his daughter hesitantly.

"You need me to do it, and I don't mind." She smirked as she pushed her chair out of her way and started walking in the circle the round table provided, "In fact, I'd be happy to beat every last one of those fools and marry the Queen of the Shadow Lands."

Snow looked to her stubborn child, "Emma, you don't know of what that particular queen is capable."

Emma's wide-eyed, frustrated look fell to her mother, "And you and father don't know of what I am capable!"

Charming put his hand up, "If you're doing this to get your mother's and my attention, you have it."

"I am doing this, _Daddy dearest_, because you need someone. And it is supposed to be my responsibility anyways. I am the single heir to this throne. Finding a suitable knight or a Lord for something as important as this… I won't let that happen when I know I can win." She huffed, "It's my responsibility." She said again.

Charming slapped his hand against the wood of the table top, "Spit on your responsibility! Emma—"

"NO!" She finished her circle, slammed her hands against the wood of the table top, mirroring her father, "I'm entering myself whether you find another representative or not." She took her hands from the table, crossed them and looked to the side before she muttered, "Though I've just stated why you shouldn't do that."

"Why?" His eyes narrowed angrily.

"Because I am good enough!"

Snow stood and walked to her daughter, "This is not your normal Battle Royale, my darling. She is vicious, venomous."

"Then if I get bit, at least I'll die worthy." The look in her eyes told her parents there was no use fighting. She nodded once before walking out of the room that held the round table.

Snow turned to Charming, "She's your daughter."

Charming chuckled and pulled his wife in for a hug, "She's ours. She's inherited both our stubborn personalities." He kissed her hair, "We'll figure something out."

~0~0~0~0~0~

"A Battle Royale? You cannot be serious, my queen." Graham was the first to speak as he and the rest of the advisors entered the private study of the Queen. "Hell, if you want them off your back about the marriage thing, I'll marry you!"

Regina gave the former huntsman a smile, "Dear, dear Graham. You are too precious for me to keep you locked up. You deserve love." She combed her fingers through his scruff before patting his cheek.

"As do you." Baelfire stepped forward. "You have a good heart. You don't deserve this, my Queen. You've done countless things for us. Let us stop you from this…"

Regina turned to the boy she found in the woods, fleeing from a dark fate when they was only children. She smiled at him as the memory of her father, the king, insisting on his schooling and the best of the best for him came to the forefront of her mind. "Bae… You are not looking after me like a Queen, but like a sister. As family."

"Someone should." He gave her a look.

The Genie of Agrabah stepped forward, "He is right, my Queen. If you do this… there's no love. And you have seen true, unbridled love. You have felt that love. You have that love now. And you deserve to keep that love."

Regina turned to the Genie she'd let free with surprise, "Genie! How could you possibly know if I've found love?"

"I can see it in your eyes, my Queen. Marry that man. Don't do this."

Regina shook her head, "I can't…" She lifted her eyes, "I must do this. If I don't then they might try a coup or something worse."

"And so what if they try a coup, my Queen? Do you not think that Graham and myself alone could not take the lot of them?" Hook, decided to join the conversation, "I've only one hand and I know I could take two or three of those wretches at a time. In fact," He turned to the others, "I hope they do try to seize your power. I'd love to start from scratch with the court. These Lords are utterly pompous and dull." His accent thickened with his last sentence.

"Hook, you devil. You shouldn't say such things." Regina grinned, "Though there is no opposition here."

Pinocchio came forward. He looked at his queen's eyes, "Why are you so resigned to doing this? If the Genie is right, if you have found love… Why can't you marry?"

Regina stood, "That is none of your concern."

"Actually, my queen, it is my concern." Regina stared at the man's nose waiting for it to grow, and he rolled his eyes, "I'm not lying. It's my concern. It's all of our concern."

"What the man-puppet, and everyone else is trying to say is that we care about you. And if you have someone you care about then you need to be with him. You deserve your happiness as much as the next poor wretched soul." The sixth and last advisor finally butted his way into the conversation.

"Jefferson—"

"Don't 'Jefferson' me." The hatter grinned madly as he looked into his queen's eyes, "You know it's true. We want to do something for you just like you have done for each of us. You've taken us all in. You've helped us, rehabilitated us to humans," he looked to Graham, gave him a pointed look then moved on, "Turned us back into men from being puppets from being boys from being puppets…" he patted Pinocchio's back, "You've released us, freed us from our prisons," he looked to the Genie who nodded his direction, "You've protected us from your mother and certain… crocodiles."

Hook gave the hatter an unimpressed look.

Jefferson raised his hands in surrender before moving on, "You've made us family," He looked to Bae, "And you've reunited us with the only family we have…" He finally looked at his Queen again, "You cannot stand there and make the decision to go through with something we all know is going to drown you. Man-puppet can tell you, drowning is not the ideal way to go."

"Why do you always have to call me Man-puppet when you get going? I have a name…" Pinocchio looked to his friend's face before shaking his head and turning back to the queen, "Although, the Mad Hatter does have a point. Drowning is not the ideal way to go."

"I am not Mad!"

"You're a little wacko." Hook said.

"At least I'm fully functioning!" The Hatter looked to the man with one hand.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hook stepped towards the hatter.

"Exactly what is sounded like." Jefferson put his hands up, "Are you gonna hurt me," he began wiggling his fingers in a teasing way to the man with a hook for a hand, "I'm shaking with fright! I'll never be able to get away from Hook!"

"Settle down, you two." Graham tried.

"That's it. Bring in the knight in furry armor, the wolf whisperer to come protect you."

Regina rolled her eyes as everyone now butted into each other. She spoke softly, assuring no one would actually hear her, "I do hope that you all don't mind, but now that this is settled and I am hosting this competition, I will be retiring to my bedchamber; I've suddenly got a headache." She poofed out of the room.

Baelfire was the one to notice that the Queen was gone, "Gentlemen! Look what you've done." He pointed to the remnants of purple and black smoke.

~0~0~0~0~0~

There were 8 kingdoms in all coming in to fight for Regina's hand. They were a rather odd collection of kingdoms, but they were all kingdoms that needed Regina and the Shadow Lands for something. And Regina knew that. She wasn't doing this because she needed any of them. She was doing this for reasons no one would ever have to know—or should ever know. She sat straighter in her seat as the gates opened.

The announcer had vocally prepared for this day for a while. He was all too excited to start his yelling so everyone could know who was entering the kingdom.

"Prince Artie," He started as the prince came riding in on his horse, a carriage following him, "Representing his cousins King Shrek and Queen Fiona of the land of Far, Far Away." Artie and the Ogre couple garnered much applause.

The announcer continued this trend with each representative and the kings and queens lining up side by side.

"Prince Alexander, representing his parents King Thomas and Queen Ella and sister, Princess Alexandra of the Eastern Kingdom in the Enchanted Forest." another loud applause from the public and the court.

"Sir Gustave, a favored knight of King Henry and Queen Danielle of the small land of France." It seemed that there was a small competition between the two cinder girls turned queens' representatives just from the applause alone.

"Prince Arely, representing his fathers, Kings Ariel and Eric and Princess Melody of the Caspian lands." Everyone adored Prince Arely; he had quite the reputation.

"Sir Patrick, a favored knight of King Edward and Queen Nancy in the Southern kingdom of the Enchanted Forest." Music came along with the King and Queen of the south; they really loved singing and dancing. This made Regina roll her eyes and rub her temples.

The announcer didn't know what to do with that interruption, so he waited as patiently as possible before, "Prince Dunstan, representing his grandparents King Tristan and Queen Yvaine of Stormhold." Regina had heard of the King and Queen of Stormhold; she knew that they were practically eternal because she was a star. She watched the still youthful couple with intrigue as she waited for the next one.

"Prince Chip, representing his mothers Queens Belle and Red of the Western kingdom of the Enchanted Forest." Prince Chip was another that everyone adored. He was adorable, hence the adoration. His mothers raised him well just as Arely's fathers raised him well. The difference between the two was Chip didn't want to play around like Arely did. He wanted his true love. Arely would be fine if he never actually found one steady love.

"Princess Emma—PRINCESS?!" The announcer shrieked as he looked at his list then down to the royals entering. Sure enough. There she came on her white steed, her hair so perfect people could die and go to the heavens with a single glance of her golden curls. After a collected gasp, the announcer continued, "Princess Emma representing _her_ parents, King Charming and Queen Snow of the Northern kingdom of the Enchanted Forest."

The advisors all turned to one another as they listened to the last competitor's announcement. They glanced fleeting, curious glances to their queen whilst trying to keep their composure. Graham and Hook saw her white knuckles as the hand closest to them grabbed the arm of her chair subtly. Pinocchio and Jefferson saw her darkened eyes, the Genie saw the emotion that actually made her eyes darker. And Bae saw her biting the inside of her lip and cheek; something he learned she did when she had a secret that was about to come out.

One of the Lords of the Court, Lord Big Shnoz, stood up, "What is the meaning of this?!" He yelled after the insane applause died down. "Do you honestly take this for a joke?"

Charming glared at the man and made to move forward from the carriage, but Emma had jumped off her horse and was already staring the man down, despite being on the floor and he in the stands.

"Do I look as though I am laughing, _Sir_?" She asked with a glare.

Big Shnoz leaned over the railing of the balcony that held his seat, "No. You look as though you've inherited your father's tact though." This gained a chuckle from the crowd.

"Tactless I may be; talentless I am not. I assure you I will win this little game you call a 'battle'." Her smirk was too much for the man to handle.

"You, _Princess_ cannot represent your kingdom!" He yelled.

"Who says?" Emma's fists landed on her hips with all the attitude the princess could muster.

"The Queen of the Shadow Lands." Big Shnoz, without intention and only anger, mimicked the young princess's position.

This was when Regina decided to butt in, "I've said no such thing." She held up her hand, stopping him from any sort of retort, "If the White Kingdom wants to submit the Princess to the competition, who am I tell a woman she cannot try a man's game?" She looked around, "After all, am I not also playing a man's game?" She smiled, causing a few chuckles from the crowd, "I will let this Princess stay. We shall see how long she lasts."

"And if she does last?"

Regina turned to her advisor, "Then Lord Smith, she is the most qualified. She will have been the only one to handle all of our… 'games' as the White Princess put it." She gave him a fake smile before turning to the crowd and standing, "Now that that is settled, let us invite our friends in and tomorrow, let the games begin." She raised both arms and the crowd applauded louder than ever.

**AN: The Kingdoms are taken from many a medieval themed movie and "Once." I will list them by representative; all of the titles listed are obviously AU: Artie, "Shrek;" Alexander, "OuaT;" Gustave, "Ever After;" Arely, "The Little Mermaid;" Patrick, "Enchanted;" Dunstan, "Stardust;" Chip, "OUaT"/"Beauty and the Beast;" and Emma is obviously, "OUaT."**

**Read and Review! I want to know your thoughts! (I know this chapter is a LOT of setup, but I still hope you enjoyed!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thanks so much for the many favorites and reviews! I'm so happy to see a positive reaction! So excited that I decided to post the second chapter today!**

**However (and this is the part that you all can skip), there was one review in particular from one 'Guest' that was quasi-critical, but on the whole didn't give me much to go on. I love criticism. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike you all telling me my work sucks; but you have to give reason and you have to be explicit because sometimes I don't understand things. And please, OH PLEASE sign the crap in. That's actually what pisses me off, when people leave criticism, but don't sign in. I promise that I am not going to jump on you for criticism; I will want to have a conversation so that I can see if there's a way to fix it or something I could do different. Don't be that guy that doesn't sign in. All authors hate that guy. Because if we do want to talk to you because we think that what you have to say makes sense or we want to explain ourselves, we have to take a big bold chunk of text that probably no one will read through to try to have a conversation…**

**This note is for my one Guest—next time, ****_please_**** sign in for the reasons stated above, and so I can type with you one on one; have a full on conversation and all that. This was your review: "**So there are gay kings and queens yet people have a problem with Regina being queen alone? Or Emma competing for her hand? That doesn't make much sense tbh. Introducing the other challengers particularly with their associated histories detracts from your story and turns it from something that could be serious drama to a comedy. Is that what you intended?**" Quick side note: When you put this much into a review and ask questions, I feel the need to respond and answer; that's why with the huge AN (sorry everyone else). To answer your questions… Yes, there are gay kings and queens in parts of different lands, and yes, Regina's court thinks she needs to marry a man and that Emma shouldn't be in the competition. Think of it like Regina lives in Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina—any bible belt state and Ariel and Eric, and Red and Belle live in NY or any of the 13 states and D.C. that now celebrate marriage equality. Make sense now? It's not pretty, but it's common life in most places… If I'm reading your 'challengers' line correctly, I do know that it will be comedic; I like to think I'm a funny lady and have more trouble writing the drama than the funny. I categorized it as romance/drama instead of romance/comedy because drama will ensue and it won't just be one big soap opera, at the same time, it's not going to be witty, funny and quippy. And I mean... Don't all dramas have funny parts? So, yes, I guess that was my intention to make it funny; again, Queen Nan's done an excellent job with her "Enchanted" if you want the same story but completely different… Sorry if I sound bitchy, I'm not trying to be, just trying to have a conversation… see if we understand each other…**

**Okay, thanks! Hope you all enjoy!**

They'd gathered into the dining hall. Regina sat separately from the rest, and paired the royals up into tables that she knew would get along the most: The Eastern and Northern Kingdoms of the Enchanted Forest—allegedly Princess Emma and Prince Alexander were quite chummy growing up; The Western Kingdom of the Enchanted Forest and the Caspian Kingdom—the two most… _progressive _lands, what with the rulers being queer, and the princes Chip and Arely being the two most handsome of them all; the Southern Kingdom of the Enchanted Forest and the French Kingdom—the two knights would have plenty to discuss; and Far, Far Away and Stormhold—a table of two ogres, a star, a quarter star-three quarters human, and two humans should have plenty of entertaining talk.

Regina looked over all of her competitors as she sat, Graham to her immediate right, Genie her immediate left. She fixed her gaze on the furthest table to the only toe-headed blonde in the room. She rested her head on her hand and smirked as she watched the blonde sniff at the food foreign to her, decide it was okay, and take a huge bite—Regina decided to bring a traditional dish from each land into the meal, which made most of everyone's plates foreign.

"Your Majesty?" Genie asked quietly.

Regina pulled from her stare and looked over to the Genie, "Yes?"

He glanced back to the princess before asking, "Are you not satisfied with your meal?"

"Of course I am, I just got a little carried away with the excitement of the party." She took a bite.

"Your majesty?" Hook looked toward her from his seat next to Graham, "I think we will in fact need that small table Bae suggested."

"Why's that, Hook?" She reached for her chalice.

"Well, Prince Arely is making his way over here."

She looked the direction he indicated and nodded, "Very well." She snapped her fingers and was instantly transported to a table for two a few feet behind the advisors.

Arely shook his head thinking he just saw an illusion before moving again around the advisors to the small table, "Your Majesty." He smiled.

0~0

Across the room, Princess Emma stopped pushing the only dish she recognized around on her plate and saw Arely standing in front of Regina's now separated table from the advisors.

"Hey what do you suppose that's about?" She pushed on Prince Alexander's arm.

Alexander rolled his eyes, "Obviously, he's trying to get ahead in the competition."

Emma looked at him innocently, "Ahead in a competition that hasn't even started and is based first on our strength and our character?"

Alexander stood and wiped his mouth, "Oh, teeny, tiny, Princess Emma's brain…" He patted her hair, "Of course it's started, Sweet Pea." He kissed her hair as he stood and slowly made his way across the room.

0~0

"Prince Arely." Regina smiled and gave him the hand he was waiting on.

He kissed the top of said hand then gestured, "May I sit down?"

"Of course." The queen kept her smile on her face.

"Do your advisors remind you of just how stunningly beautiful you are?" He leaned on the table and gazed into her eyes.

This action only made the queen smirk, "One of my advisors is my brother… The rest of them have their sights on other women."

"Why?"

"Because they know that I am not an accomplishment. I am not another notch on a bedpost. They know that." She took a sip of her wine from her chalice, "Do you?"

"Do I know you're not a notch?" At the queen's small nod, he chuckled a little, "I see my reputation precedes me."

0~0

"Oh, hey! Artie!" Shrek pointed to Prince Alexander as he walked by, "You need to finish that pint and get in line." He looked at his plate, "Are we ever going to have something appetizing? Where is the worm stir-fry?"

0~0

"Your Majesty?"

Regina looked from Prince Arely, "Prince Alexander."

"I wonder if I might interrupt?"

"Well, Prince Arely was about to go into what I am sure is a very long-winded, unsound explanation as to why I'm not a notch on his bedpost, so please. Do interrupt."

Arely chuckled, "I can see when I'm not wanted." He stood up.

Regina took his hand, "Who said you weren't wanted? You were invited, weren't you?"

"I… yes…?"

"Then you're wanted." She winked at him, "I need to make time for everyone, you see."

0~0

Emma watched Prince Artie stand from his table and cautiously make his way over to the queen. She tried to keep her gaze from said queen because gods, she was damn beautiful. She decided that she was going to cautiously bide her time and wait to be the last to go up. Heavens forbid she look anxious.

0~0

"So, you pick out your own colors for every outfit your seamstress makes you?" Regina had to hide behind her chalice.

It wasn't funny. Except that it was a little amusing. It was sad more than anything else. Here was this man, this prince, who so desperately tries to hide himself from everyone that the only person he ends up fooling is himself.

"Yes, and when we marry, I bet I could do wonders for your wardrobe…" Prince Alexander's eyes lit up with a hint of excitement.

"I bet you could." Regina took a sip to keep from laughing out. Then she realized his hidden insult, "Are you saying something needs to be done with my wardrobe?"

Alexander put his hands up, "Of course not! Your wardrobe is lovely!" He paused only for a half second before, "You could use a splash of color though."

"Mmm," She mumbled before the man behind Alexander caught her eye, "Prince Arthur." She smiled.

"Hello your majesty." He was obviously nervous.

"I guess my turn is up." Alexander stood gave a slight bow to the other prince and a full bow to the queen of the Shadow Lands, "Your Majesty."

"Prince Alexander." She bid him farewell then looked up at Artie, "Is it your turn to get your leg up?"

"I suppose so." He wiped his forehead as he sat down. He patted a beat on the table and looked around, "So… You have quite the collection of representatives…"

Regina smirked, "I do. Tell me, Artie, are you even of age to marry yet?"

"Did I win already?" He asked nervous, then, at her look, he shook his head, "Oh, 'cause I'm young and you're just… Yeah. I've just passed my eighteenth year."

"Do you want to get married?"

0~0

Sir Patrick stood up and excused himself from his table. He slowly made his way over to the queen as soon as Prince Alexander stood. He caught the Prince's gaze as they crossed paths; both men took a subtly deep breath as they held each other's stare before curtly looking at the ground and moving on.

0~0

"I don't know… It'd be cool if my kingdom was stronger…?" He immediately covered his mouth, "That's not the right answer. I'm kicked out aren't I?"

Regina laughed, "No, Artie!" She reached over and gave a reassuring touch to the top of his hand, "You are not disqualified… Yet."

Artie's eyes widened a bit in fear then looked around, "Oh look. Sir Patrick, well, I'm gonna go before my foot makes it's way in my mouth completely."

Artie stood quickly gave a quick bow then ran back to his table.

Sir Patrick was turned, staring after the boy before turning back to the queen, "Your Majesty." He smiled after bowing his greeting and sitting down.

"Sir Patrick." She smiled and they stared at one another, "You've pain in your eyes."

"Not to be informal, but you've pain in your own." He said seriously.

"I suppose one as perceptive as a knight, one that's seen all and been through wars would know what pain looks like." She looked down.

"May I ask a question?"

"You may ask but I am not guaranteeing an answer."

0~0

Prince Dunstan stood from his place and gallantly made his way over to the queen's table.

0~0

He smirked as he nodded, "If you know that it won't make you happy why hold a Battle Royale?"

"How do you know it won't make me happy?"

"Knight's intuition?" Patrick sat back in his seat and shrugged.

"As if there is such a thing." Regina smirked and looked down as she thought about the question, "I suppose that I am doing this because I know in some way there is a possibility that somehow, some way I will be happy. Even though it is the smallest chance, it's the only chance I have of a happily ever after."

Sir Patrick nodded, but before he could speak, Prince Dunstan was standing at the table, "Your Majesty." He said with a smile.

Sir Patrick turned, "Ah, Prince Dunstan." He bowed then offered his hand to the lad, "You're right on time." He smiled, bowed to the queen and departed.

Dunstan looked at the queen, "I suppose it's my turn to tell you of all my accomplishments and why I'm so fitting to be your husband?"

Regina sipped from her wine and nodded, "I suppose it is."

Dunstan sat down.

0~0

Sir Gustave decided it was his turn to stand and greet the queen.

"Come on, Prin_cess_. When are you going to go?" Alexander asked as he watched the knight weave his way to the table.

"I'll go when I'm good and ready." Emma stabbed a huge bite of roast with her fork and shoved it in her mouth.

0~0

"Well, you'll be able to tell when I'm mad or glad because like my grandmother, I shine." He started, "Also, if we do fall in true love, we'll live for more than we probably care to remember. I'm an excellent swordsman, no novice to archery and jousting, and, as a side note, I've been told I can wake the dead in my sleep."

Regina's eyes widened with surprise, "Really? How?" She leaned in with curiosity.

"Well, snoring…" He grinned, "I was providing you with a fault."

Regina found the Prince utterly charming.

"Your Majesty?"

Regina looked up to find the other knight in her competition, "Sir Gustave."

Prince Dunstan stood and offered his chair to the other man, "Sir knight."

"Thank you, your majesty." Both men bowed mannerly before one departed and the other sat.

"You have a reputation, you know?" Gustave said as he sat before the queen.

"And what is that? That I'm ruthless, vicious?"

Gustave smiled with a slight shake of his head, "Your beauty makes men fall to their knees and give you anything you want. Is that why your kingdom is so prosperous."

Regina smirked at the man's attempt at seduction, "Are your knees weak?"

"Desperately so. I may not be able to walk."

The queen reached for her chalice again, not able to hide her grin any longer.

0~0

Prince Chip looked across the room to the only representative beside himself left to find her eyes on him. He gestured for her to go, but she only dug into her meal and refused to look back up at him.

0~0

"You're a horrible flirt." She stated plainly.

Gustave let out a loud chuckle, "That may be, but the rumors of your beauty don't lie."

"Well thank you, sir knight." Regina glanced around the room, "Oh, our time is about to be cut short." She gestured to the last prince coming their way.

Gustave stood, "So it has. I wish I had more time than to only show you what a horrible flirt I am…"

Regina laughed, "As do I." She waved goodbye as he turned to leave. Chip was quick to make it over to her, "Prince Chip."

"Your Majesty." Chip bowed.

"You are as handsome as your rumors."

"And you as beautiful as yours." Chip blushed and looked away from her.

Regina was awed by this, "Oh, and you're just as shy as I've been told as well."

"Shyness reflects poorly on royalty." He was obviously reciting something he'd been told repeatedly.

The queen knit her brows, "Do your mothers tell you that?"

Chip smiled and chanced a glance her direction, "No, one of them growls and the other scolds the advisors that tell me that then they tell them to educate themselves and read a book, that way they'd be useful."

"You have good parents."

He grinned wide and nodded, "Yes I do."

"And you just want to live up to what they want you to be…"

"Yes."

"I think that your shyness gives you an advantage to being just that man."

Chip blushed bright and looked around, "Well, my time is up I see."

The two royals watched as the princess in the competition stood, wiped her mouth and began stalking her way over, all with a determined look on her face.

Chip stood, took the Queen's hand, kissed it and walked off before Emma got there.

As soon as she approached, the announcement for dessert was made and plates were served to everyone in the room. Emma looked down at her chocolate cake—her favorite—and back up to the queen, "Chocolate cake?"

Regina looked around the room flippantly, "I try to please everyone. You, I might add, have had questionable looks on your face all night."

"I stick with what I know usually, but it was all delicious." She jabbed her cake and stuffed a large bite in her mouth, then after savoring, and before licking the frosting mustache from her lip, she looked back to the brunette, "Is there more?"

Regina handed the woman a napkin, "Of course. I would hate to disappoint the _princess_."

"Because you can clearly see that I'm the best candidate out there?" Emma said after wiping her mouth.

"I wouldn't say the _best_ candidate. Though every candidate does have their faults."

"And mine is?"

"Table manners and tact." Regina didn't miss a beat.

"But I make up for it because I'm utterly adorable." Emma gave the queen a cocky grin.

"You're also arrogant." Regina deadpanned.

Emma wasted no time in her response, "But I make up for it because I'm utterly adorable." She repeated with the same cocky grin.

Regina appeared to be annoyed, but Emma could see in her eyes that she was having fun. The brunette stood, "I suddenly have a headache." She said before poofing over to her advisors and apologizing to the crowd.

Emma stayed in her seat and dug into her cake. Or she tried to, but she soon heard the impatient foot tap of her mother.

"Emma Swan White." The tone was scolding.

"Whuuh?" The blonde turned with a full mouth of cake.

"What did you say to her? She did not look pleased. You were the only one she did not look pleased with."

Emma swallowed, "Relax, mom. I was being nice."

"That was your way of being nice? Not waiting for the queen—_the queen _ whose hand you're competing for by the way, to eat her dessert first? Not bowing or curtsying or kissing her hand? You just plopped down—look at me when I'm talking to you."

Emma rolled her eyes as she stuffed the last possible bite of cake and icing and crumbs in her mouth, "I will, when you start talking to me like I'm a grown up, not your little princess." She stood, "I'm competing for _marriage_ mother. I don't need etiquette lessons unless my future wife says I do." She looked around, "Which she does, but that's not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

Emma opened her mouth and looked around. She saw the rest of the representatives gathering around a particular table, but couldn't be bothered to join, "I'm tired and I'm gonna go to bed. Goodnight, mother."

"I hate it when you call me that. It's so formal."

"Yes, I know, _mother_. I do it to annoy you." Emma smiled before walking out of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time Regina made her way into her quarters, she felt the weight of the entire day dragging behind her.

She walked into her bedroom and found baby blue smoke filling the center of her bed. She smirked as she saw the White Princess appear on her side, head in her hand and a cheeky smile on her face as the smoke faded, "Princess!" She feigned surprise, "What are you doing in my bedchamber?! We've only just met!" She placed a dramatic hand over her heart.

The White Princess grinned as she got off the bed and walked over to the queen, "You are so funny with your little games." She said just before she took Regina's face in her hands and kissed her. "God, I missed you."

"I've missed you too." Regina kissed the blonde's back.

"Are you sure you can't just marry me and call this whole thing off? I really did not like watching all of those guys come flirt with you…" Emma gave the Shadow Queen her best puppy eyes.

Regina shook her head, "The laws for both of our lands clearly state that a female royal cannot marry the fairer sex and a male royal cannot marry the masculine sex even if one or both are magical and can therefore reproduce." She held the blonde tighter, "I had fun pretending to be offended by your frosting mustache you always manage to get when you eat chocolate cake." She pecked her lips twice more, "Mmm."

Emma grinned before responding to the woman's first statement, "Well, our kingdoms need to get it together. Look at Belle and Red and Ariel and Eric! They're all doing just fine and their kingdoms are actually prospering!"

"I know, my love, but this is not my decision just like it's not yours. It's the court's."

"The courts for our lands are idiots." The blonde pulled Regina closer and walked her to the bed.

"I don't disagree, my love." Regina smiled as Emma pushed her onto the bed, holding her tight so they could have their usual staring contest. "How did you get your parents to agree?" She asked as she settled and pressed her forehead to the blonde's.

Emma grinned, "I told you I would…"

"Yes, but how?!"

"I made them believe that it was showing the other princes and knights and them too, that I am just as good as anyone else."

Regina smiled with the blonde and nodded, "Mmm, and you are. After all you did save me, and I'm a witch."

"And I'm not?"

"No, darling, you are more of an enchanter or a sorceress."

"What's the difference?"

"Your magic is good, pure."

Emma rolled her eyes before pulling back to stare at her, "And yours isn't."

Regina looked down as she admitted, "Mine is black."

"But you only use it for good!"

"Even so, it is still black magic. Therefore," she placed a hand on her sternum, "Witch." She placed a hand on her love's sternum, "Sorceress."

Emma looked into her eyes, "I don't care what you are so long as I can do this." She leaned down and started nipping at Regina's neck. She waited a moment before going to the spot that would make Regina squirm and moan. When she did hit it, she pulled away with a laugh, "And make you do that."

After a moment Regina swallowed hard, emotion suddenly stumbling off her in waves, "Darling, what if you lose?"

"I'm not going to lose." Emma shook her head and started in Regina's neck once more.

The Queen pushed the White Princess away and gave her a look, "Anyone ever tell you you're a little arrogant?"

This made the blonde laugh again, "Yes. You." She kissed her again, "All the time."

"Well…" The brunette searched for a deeper, wittier comeback but only came back with, "You are."

"And you need to have a little faith in me."

After sharing a sensitive look, Regina reached up and stroked the blonde's cheek, "I do."

"Then just let me beat them all and marry you." She leaned down and kissed her queen.

Regina accepted the myriad of kisses the princess gave her, "Okay." She said between kisses, "I…will…be…'cause…I…love…you."

Emma now pulled back with a stupid grin, "I know." She started to lean back in, but Regina leaned up kissed her collarbone, "I love you, too." She kissed her lips, "You dummy."

~0~0~0~0~0~

The advisors and Regina gathered in her study. They hadn't had a chance to talk the evening before about what each of them saw. Though, as they all entered the room, no one actually spoke. Everyone—every_thing_ was quiet.

Regina sat in her desk chair; Bae and Pinocchio sat on the couch; Jefferson stood next to the fireplace, one hand on the mantle the other fisted on his hip; Genie paced next to the large windows; and Graham looked over to Hook as the man walked toward the desk, stopping at the globe to the right.

Graham knew they had the same suspicions as everyone else and decided to try the intimidation tactic; he walked around the desk and leaned against it, staring at the queen.

Hook spun the globe with his hand before stopping it with his hook—his hook just so happened to land on the White Kingdom.

"I find it interesting…" the one-handed man said, breaking the silence among them, "That you let the White Kingdom get away with that little stunt."

"Mm," Jefferson spoke up from across the room, "And that you did not take it for a joke. You didn't even crack a smile until you had Lord Big Shnoz—Excuse me, Lord Smith shut up."

The rest of the men laughed, "Lord Big Shnoz." Hook repeated, through a grunt of a chuckle.

Regina was unimpressed—even though that was exactly what she had thought of him the day before. She rolled her eyes before responding, "Just why would I take it for a joke;" She turned to Hook, "And why should it be considered a stunt?"

"Come on, Love…" Hook wrapped his right arm over his chest and pointed at her with his hook, "At any other time, in any other realm or kingdom, anyone would consider submitting a woman a joke."

Regina opened her mouth to talk, but the Genie stopped her, "That's not how it should be, but that is the way it is and you know it."

Graham nodded, "Yes, and yesterday, you didn't even seem phased by the Princess White's presence…"

Bae looked at her. After catching her eye, he asked, "Is there something you'd like to tell us?"

Regina scooted her chair into her desk entirely and sat there a moment. She twiddled her thumbs as she tried to think of an eloquent delivery, but all that came out was, "I am in love."

All six men's ears perked and their eyes landed on their queen.

Jefferson clapped his hands once as he came closer, "Our queen is in love. In love with who, I wonder…" He had an entertaining look in his eye, "Could it be the adorable and knowledgeable Prince Chip who likes to read novels and run in the wild?" His voice began sounding like an announcer, "Or, Prince Alexander? The one that's never had a girlfriend, and is the cleanest of them all?" He pointed at nothing as he took a step forward, "Perhaps it is Prince Arely? The man probably has warts on his unmentionables, but by the time he gets you to bed you won't care because he's so dreamy and romantic."

The other men were laughing along and booing as Jefferson went on.

The Hatter decided to finish what he started, "Maybe it is Prince Dunstan? He is noble and kind. A prince with the soul of an adventurer and a want for true love." He shook his head, "Prince Artie? He may be the cousin of Ogres, but that's not his fault. He's funny just like his cousins, and hey—" he clapped his hands and pointed with both index fingers to Regina, "The holidays gotta be a lot of fun, right?" He then started walking around again, "Maybe it's not a Prince at all. Perhaps a knight… In that case, we have Sir Gustave. The knight that every other aspires to. He is knowledgeable of all the kingdom's secrets, of that I have no doubt. He is worthy of a queen's hand." He turned both palms up and swung his arms at an 'L' out with a shrug as if to say, 'it might just be him' before he continued, "Or, there is Sir Patrick, but let's be honest, the rumors around him and his lady friends are as fiery as Prince Alexander's…" He raised his brows as he walked to the desk, where most of the men were already surrounding their queen.

"OR!" He started as he slammed his hands on the edge and looked at her, "She's in love with neither the princes nor the knights, and she is in love with the White Prin_cess_."

"I think you might be onto something, old friend." Pinocchio, the only advisor not close to the desk, stood from the couch and clapped Jefferson on the shoulder.

They looked to each other before they turned and stared at their queen before holding conversation as if in a 40s newspaper room, or as if they'd rehearsed a lead in to a minstrel number.

"You think?" Jefferson asked his friend.

"I do indeed."

"With what? You've wood for brains…"

"I've brains for brains, and I've been thinking—"

"It's still a scary thought—"

"I've been thinking that the queen is surrounded by us strapping brutes day in and day out—"

"Say, that is a thought. Why do you suppose she hasn't made advances?"

"I suppose she's in love."

"That's a good reason!"

"Well that's what she said."

"That is what she said."

"And since she's in love, the only question is—"

"When's the wedding?"

"No."

"Who's the guy?"

"No."

"Well what's the question?"

"If you would stop questioning, I could question my question."

"If you would stop making me question, I wouldn't be questioning and you could question your question."

Pinocchio stared at his best friend a moment, pausing to wrap that one around his head, "Question?"

"Yes….?"

"If she's in love why would she hold a Battle Royale?"

"Well that's simple…"

The former puppet glared at his friend and almost knocked the man's hat off, "How is that simple? Would not the simple thing be to _marry_ the man she's in love with?"

"Oh, that's much simpler. Perhaps it's not so simple; perhaps it's complicated; perhaps you don't in fact have wood for brains."

"I've told you once today, I don't. I'm a real man… besides the lying thing…"

"Right! So, what's the answer to the complicated question?"

"That it's complicated by law."

"By law, you say?"

"By law, I say."

"To which law are we referring?"

"The one with the royals not being allowed to marry a person of the same gender."

"That's brilliant!"

"I know."

"For the Queen has allowed a woman into the competition."

"And if the woman wins…"

"Then the court _has_ to allow the princess to marry the queen."

"So, the queen _must_ be in love with that princess if she is in love at all because the princess is the only one she can't marry at will."

"And she's in love, so she's said."

"Exactly."

They both nodded once they were done. They pulled apart from their bros-can-share-a-side-hug and looked at the blank stares.

"You two need to get laid." Graham said, breaking the silence, causing everyone to chuckle, "You shall join Hook and myself on an adventure out one night; we'll show you how it's done." The Genie and Bae both shook their heads. Graham didn't comment on their superiority, instead he turned to the queen, "Although, I do think they've a point…"

Regina ignored the former knight and looked at the Genie, "Genie?"

"Yes, my Queen?"

"Have you made the sash for our only magical competitor?"

The Genie waved his hand, producing a black sash to show her. She nodded once before standing.

"Let the games begin." She said as she started out of her study.

**AN: Read and Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I've had a few questions regarding Ariel… It's just a gender swap, folks. Wanted to clear it up for everyone!**

Emma dressed in her armor just like, she was sure, all the others were doing. She pulled her hair back, knowing the overwhelming, overbearing cape was going to be hot enough. But, she also knew that the other competitors were going to be wearing overwhelming, overbearing capes as well.

They gathered in the dining hall for breakfast. The princes, knights and Emma all stood in pods, capes, crowns and all, with their parents or kings and queens.

"Emma, are you sure you want to do this?" Charming asked, "There's still time to bow out."

"Why would I want to bow out?"

"Well… think about the consequences, dear." Snow tried.

"What consequences?"

"Emma, what if you win?!" Charming lost himself a moment, but covered it up with a small wave and a smile to the royals who were within hearing distance and now looking their way.

Emma didn't comment right away; she took time to revel the subtle compliment before realizing it was encased in an insult. She looked at her father with a stern expression before finally, "If I win, then I will marry Her Majesty the Queen of the Shadow Lands." She said in a low tone, telling her parents the conversation was final.

"And how will that look to the public; darling, you are aware that even entering this competition to begin with looks…" Snow lowered her voice to a barely there whisper, "a little queer, dear."

Emma stood tall, "Maybe I am a little queer." She looked at both of her parents, "After all, I'm the prince daddy never had; that's what we've always said. I love sword fights and knight games and I hate dresses and tea." Her expression turned smug as she watched their faces go through myriads of emotions.

But before either of her parents could comment, the Genie poofed over—though made sure to keep his distance from the quarreling three, "Princess Emma?" He interrupted.

"Yes?" She eyed her parents as she spun around before finally turning fully to the man that called her name.

The Genie presented an armband, "I believe you know what this is for?"

Emma stared at the black fabric and reached out for it, "I do, Sir…Genie."

The Genie smiled and said, "We only need you to wear it during the actual games, not before or after." then he poofed away.

Emma looked down at the material in her hands. She traced over it with a finger and watched as it absorbed her magic, though she knew it couldn't keep her from doing magic unless tied around a limb.

She turned back to her parents who gave her questioning eyes. She didn't feel like explaining, she only looked back down and tied it to her forearm.

"Say, what is that, Love?" Prince Arely walked over to her.

"'Love'?" Emma gave him a grin, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've been hanging around a Pirate or two…"

"Well, my older father was a great sailor in his day, as am I… How do you think he found my younger father?" He winked, "Dumb luck?"

"No, I'm sure Eric found Ariel and called him 'Love' right off the bat, and that's how Ariel fell so deeply in love with him. Because Eric was the first to call him 'Love'." She grinned, "But, I mean, if that… If that's what you're trying to do here, I feel as though I should remind you that we are in competition for a _lady's_ hand." She gave him a look, "And since we are in such a competition, I feel it should be obvious that your calling me 'love' is nothing more than a burden for us both, and any other advances you try will simply have no effect on me."

Arely smirked, "You are as feisty as your rumors say you are."

"And you…" She stared at him with a twinkle in her eye, "Are as much a Don Juan as your rumors say you are." She winked as she pushed passed him, "Careful, you might get eliminated because of it. The Queen hardly seems like a lady to put up with any of that…"

Arely turned with a grin and walked after her. But, the Queen came in before he could say anything more.

Regina surprised them as she entered and said, "Here and now we will have our first elimination."

All of the royals were standing a little straighter behind their representatives.

"Pardon?" Eric asked as he looked to the queen of the Shadow Lands.

"Well, the way I see it, King Eric, I need to pick not only the best of arms, but the best of manners as well. And seeing as I know for a fact that I will see my future spouse eat everyday, and I don't know if I will ever have to go to battle…" She knocked on the wooden table, "I am going to say that manners are more important to me."

"Why don't you just marry the Princess?" Prince Alexander said sarcastically, "She's the only one that we all know is going to ace _this _part of our game don't we?"

Regina began to respond, but the princess had something to say, "Excuse me, Alexander, just what makes you think that I am prepared for this part of the game? Is it because I'm a woman?" She had taken a step out of line to look at the prince three figures down. "Honestly, I would think of all representatives here, _you _would be most prepared. I recall someone rather delighting in teatime and etiquette training whilst growing up. And I do think you'd recall me slamming your face into mud when we were little."

Alexander turned to her and angrily spat, "Bite your tongue."

"No. I find it painful and pointless."

Artie and Arely, the princes standing between the Princess and Alexander, could not help the smirks that came across their faces. As Emma looked passed Alexander to Patrick, Gustave, Dunstan and Chip, she found the same smirk. With a fake smile she stepped back in line. She could practically feel her mother covering her face in embarrassment and her father trying to hide his own amusement.

Hook looked to the side, hiding a smirk of his own, "Your many majesties, might we ask you to come this way to observe?" He gestured to the long table with breakfast food all over. The eight kings and queens all headed around the table and sat as if ready to enjoy a show.

Regina smiled graciously before turning back to the potential spouses, "Alexander, since you seem to be so greedy to give everyone your opinion, how about you go first?" Regina asked as she walked over to him then put her hand out, "How would you seat me if we were _alone_ for dinner?"

Emma watched intently as Alexander did nothing wrong.

"Thank you." She poofed out of the seat and over to Gustave, "And you, Sir Gustave? How would you seat me?"

Gustave was, like everyone else in the room surprised with the Queen's open, even flippant use of magic.

Regina looked around before she let Gustave walk her to the chair, "Ladies and gentlemen, I assure you, I am as cheeky as I seem with my magic. That is the only reason I am using it now, so that I do not scare my future spouse." She gave everyone a cheeky smile—as cheeky as she could ever give—to lighten the mood. Most everyone in the room chuckled lightly. She then nodded for Gustave to seat her.

Again, there was nothing wrong with it. She poofed again, "Prince Arely?"

This pattern continued until it was just Emma and Sir Patrick. Regina chose Sir Patrick first. He was the only one who varied from how the others did it. Instead of walking her, he danced her over. He literally swept her off her feet and spun gracefully setting her in the chair and grinning from his kneeling position, "That is how I would do it."

Regina looked around with a wide smile on her face. She had gasped when he first turned her and yelped when he first lifted her, but she had to admit, he was a very good dancer—though that could be a right of passage in that kingdom of his. She placed a hand on his cheek then poofed over to Emma.

"And Princess?" Regina asked, "How would you seat me?" She then muttered, "Although I really don't see the point in this question after that display." She looked over to Patrick and winked then blew him a quick kiss before turning back to what she knew was a jealous blonde princess.

Emma, jealous as she may be, kept her composure. She inhaled a deep breath, "If I might ask, your majesty," She got the Queen's attention once more, "This 'seating scenario…' is this just after we're married and it's new and awkward or is this after some time and true love has developed?"

Regina kept her intrigued stare on her, but turned her head a bit and kept her composure not sure what her oh-so-secret lover was planning, "Interesting, why do you ask?"

"Well, that will tell me what I would do." Emma said with a small flourish of her hands, "That's all."

Regina turned to her advisors, "Gentlemen? What's the answer?"

The six men debated for a moment before the Genie came forward, "My Queen, we are much more interested to see the second." He gave her a knowing smirk, one only the queen would be able to tell what he was hinting at.

This made Emma grin, "The 'in love' one?" She asked them clarifying she didn't just hear what she wanted. When she got a nod from the Genie, she gave her own nod in return and then looked to the Queen, "Your Majesty, I wouldn't sit you down if we were in love and actually got to be alone for dinner."

Regina's brows raised at her ever secret lover's bold answer, "You wouldn't?" She turned slightly to the kings and queens lining the long table and saw the many different reactions settle to intrigue.

"No." Emma walked closer and offered her hand to the queen, "Your majesty, if we were in love and actually alone for dinner," She slowly twirled the queen before pulling her in and dipping her low, "I would lock our bedchamber door and have you magic the best meal we could eat right to our bed."

Snow White gasped loudly and covered her mouth, "Emma Louise Swan White!" She hissed after garnering the attention of all the royals, smirks and shocked expressions on their faces.

Emma pulled the queen back to a standing position and looked at the other woman, "Yes, mother?"

"Take that back!"

"No! It's what I would do! It's what Daddy does minus the magic because he doesn't have any. And while that is utterly painful for me to think about, it's equally as romantic and lovely. It only makes me want what I've seen every day of my life…"

The rest of the Kings and Queens were awed by the statement from the princess.

"So, no Mother, I will not take it back."

Regina, heart pounding in her chest, stepped forward, "Let's move on, shall we?"

They moved on to food. Regina watched each man and Emma try to hide the way they truly eat in the first bite, but with a snap of her fingers, she was shown their dark sides. A few made her smirk because no matter how disgusting, they were quite adorable as well (this included her true love); however, in truth, she also saw some that she hoped she'd never see again.

And then there was Prince Alexander, the son of a cinder queen and her king. Emma was not wrong when she accused him of liking teatime. Nothing changed when she snapped her fingers; if anything he was sitting straighter.

Emma was standing next to Artie who was also standing with Sir Patrick.

"He's so adorable." The voice was obviously not meant to be heard aloud, and with a turn of both Emma's and Artie's heads, Sir Patrick turned back to them, "What?"

Artie turned back to watching Alexander eat and raised his hands in surrender, "Nothing, Sir Knight."

When Emma couldn't stop staring as she processed what the knight said, Sir Patrick gave her a glare, "Like you have any right to judge! You entered a competition to marry a woman! If that doesn't scream rainbows and piss butterflies, I don't know what does!"

Emma's jaw dropped, though she was grinning, "Sir Patrick," She spoke softly, "I've nothing but adoration for you as a protector, dancer and romancer. I was simply trying to make sure that my ears did not deceive me." She casually stepped passed Artie with a shared smirk, over to the knight's other side, "I've actually been observant of Prince Alexander. We used to be thick as thieves, in some ways we still are. Our kingdoms fall into each other and our castles are actually closer than one might believe. We were bosom buddies once upon a time…" She gave the knight a look, "And I can say with utmost certainty that he too, 'screams rainbows'…" She gave the knight a polite smile and turned back to see Alexander standing and bowing.

As Emma stared at the knight she found that he didn't show any facial reaction, he only glanced the princess's way before looking forward once more. Emma didn't think she was going to get anything from him, but she did finally hear, "I know." fall softly from the man's lips. She knew that the words weren't to be heard by anyone. She moved back to her original spot, grasping the knight's arm with an assuring squeeze as she did. She glanced to Artie as she passed by to see him looking forward pretending he heard nothing as well. Finally she turned back to the queen to find a confused expression on her face.

"Prince Arely?" Regina looked around the room for him.

He was nowhere to be found.

The Kings Ariel and Eric didn't know where he was, but they knew their son was going to be in for a world of hurt.

"ARELY!" Eric stood and yelled with a boom.

Arely walked back in with a bit of a jaunt to his step and a wipe of his mouth, "My apologies, I was… detained."

Regina waved an arm, making the wall he came from behind become invisible. There they saw a young maid finishing the buttons on her outfit. Regina's attention went from her maid to Prince Arely with a dramatic, entertained eye roll. She wasn't angry; she actually found it quite bold for the young prince to try to get away with a stunt like sexing up her maid whilst in a competition for her hand.

"Thank you for coming, Prince Arely." She turned, hiding her smirk as best she could to the kings, "Your Majesties." She gave them a pleasant smile, "You understand why your son has been disqualified, yes?"

Eric looked as though he was going to jump over the table to strangle his son. Ariel was trying to calm him down, "You'll give yourself a heart attack, dear, calm down." The red head turned back to Regina, "Your Majesty, we are so very, deeply, truly sorry for his behavior." He gestured for Arely to come over to him and slapped him over the head in scolding.

"It's quite alright, and please. Stay for the rest of the Battle. If anything, it's entertaining, no?" Regina did let her smile shine now as she watched Arely only give her a shrug of apology.

The Kings nodded and thanked the Queen for letting them stay.

"In fact, you can sit alongside me for the jousting part of the competition tomorrow."

"Jousting?" Alexander asked, "We're letting a girl joust?"

Emma rolled her eyes, "Afraid I'm going to knock you from your horse like I did when we were ten?"

Sir Patrick turned to Emma, "You were quite the bully, weren't you? Sticking his face in mud? Knocking him from horses?"

"Eh," she shrugged. "I just thought knights were the greatest people around when I was growing up." She gave the knight a wink, "Wanted to be just like 'em."

**AN: Read and Review, please! Thoughts and feels?**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: To my guest asking about how Emma and Regina first got together… *Maniacal laugh, maniacal laugh!* Keep reading (not in this chapter but soon to come)! When you build it, they will come—not the most fitting place for this particular quote, but I think it still worked!**

**Side Note: I've just finished chapter 14 and I see no end in sight! Hope you all are excited!**

Emma stood in her horse's stall, patting his neck, "Okay, Ice." She moved in front of the white steed and took his snout, "No matter what happens, you keep running straight. Don't let the other horses get to you, okay?"

Ice nodded his head.

"Don't let Prince Dunstan's horse fool you; she's only trying to get into your head. Just… Don't look her in the eyes. You're as goofy over the ladies as I am, and you can't let a pretty girl distract you. We need this win…or we need to not lose, alright?"

Again, Ice nodded his head with a sigh.

"Okay, buddy." She magicked a carrot and some sugar cubes into her hand, "There you go."

"Bribing your horse, I see?" Regina poofed into the small stall room sitting sidesaddle on the horse.

Emma looked quickly out of the stall and around to make sure no one else was around, "What are you doing here?" She asked with a smile as she helped the woman off the horse.

"I missed you and I had to come wish you luck before you went out." She smiled. She was about to reach over and touch Emma's face, but the horse behind her began nudging her shoulder. She turned to the white steed, "Oh, hello, Ice. I have missed you as well." Ice nudged her cheek letting her know he missed her too. She smiled, waved her hand and produced an apple, "I have missed you the most." She let the horse enjoy is treat.

After the three bites it took the horse to eat his apple, Emma took her by the arm to the side of the stall and kissed her, "You're supposed to be up in your booth."

"And you're supposed to be walking your horse to the jousting circle."

They shared another kiss, "I love you."

"I love you, too." Regina nodded and kissed her once more.

A snort interrupted them.

Regina looked to the steed, "And I love you, Ice. You keep her safe and do as she says, or no more apples from me. You got that?" The horse gave a displeased whinny before nodding and stamping his foot, "Good boy." She patted his nose before turning and gave her princess a longing look, "Do well."

Emma smiled as the queen started to fade, "I will."

~0~0~0~0~0~

The jousting tournament took all afternoon to finish. The seven contestants were narrowed down to one prizewinner and then the losers all had to try and save themselves until it was down to Sir Patrick and Prince Alexander.

Emma was standing off to the side with Prince Artie and Prince Dunstan; they waved Sir Gustave and Prince Chip over their way.

"This doesn't make any sense." Dunstan said, "Sir Patrick has a reputation for his jousting ability. I don't understand why he's losing…"

Emma looked at Sir Patrick as he was getting his horse ready on the end they were at. She watched him look over to Alexander then looked to Artie to see if he saw what she did.

Artie nodded and looked back to her, "I think I get it." He said turning to Dunstan.

"It's hard not to…" Emma looked down at her hands on the railing.

Sir Gustave spoke up, "A knight will sacrifice most everything for love. This one even his reputation."

Emma and Artie both looked to the knight with surprise, "You know he's in love?"

"He's been so for a long time." Gustave nodded, "I met him while passing through his land one evening." He subtly glanced to the other end of the jousting line, "He was there too; trying to escape something that was plaguing him." He now shook his head, "That was the beginning of the end for Patrick."

Dunstan turned to look at the line of men and Emma, "Sir Patrick is queer?"

Chip turned from the other end, leaning against the wooden barrier and crossed his arms, "That a problem?" He glanced to Emma then to his mothers before looking back to the other prince.

Dunstan then realized how he must have sounded, "No!" He put a hand out and gave a smile to Emma, "That's not why I was…" She shook his head, "It's just… If he is queer, why is he representing King Edward and Queen Nancy for the _Queen_ of the Shadow Lands' hand?"

They all heard the start of the joust and turned quickly to the two men before anyone could answer. They watched as Alexander held steady to his lance and guided his horse. Then they looked to Sir Patrick as something caught their eyes. He had dropped his lance a few feet from the starting gate. They watched it bounce from end to end as it settled in the dust and they watched Alexander see what he was doing. He looked to Patrick with fright and started to raise his lance. But then Patrick screamed, "KEEP IT STEADY! DON'T FOLD!"

Alexander held his lance in place. He felt it connect with the knight's chest and then he felt the knight being pushed off his horse. He had the closest seat to the knight as he tumbled, landing on the flat of his back. Alexander pulled the reigns on his horse quickly and jumped off, "Patrick!" He ducked under the wooden barrier and ran over to him.

Emma saw that the Prince was about to out himself—there may have been rumors about him and it might be blatantly obvious that he is queer, but no one could hold concrete evidence against him for this. And if he was still the prince she knew, she knew he would be angry at the world and angry at Patrick for the rest of his life. She hopped the barrier and ran over to them both, untying her armband and tucking it in her pocket as she went. She touched the kneeling Prince's shoulder and the knight's chest and with a puff of light blue smoke, they were gone from all onlookers.

Artie turned jaw-dropped, "She has magic?" He asked the rest of the contestants.

Snow and Charming looked to one another in amazement as their comrades all looked on with wonder.

"She has magic…" Charming stared at the place her daughter had knelt just moments before as a small smile graced his face.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Alexander looked around as they appeared in Sir Patrick's bedchamber.

"How the hell did you do that?" He looked to the princess.

"I have magic." Emma shrugged.

"How?"

Emma gave him a look after checking over Sir Patrick, "Is that really a question for right now?"

Alexander glared at his former playmate and down to Sir Patrick, "Why did you do that? You could have easily beaten all of them. Especially Dunstan. Of all people to gain the jousting title…"

Patrick looked up at him, "I couldn't let you lose." He had a small, sad smile on his face.

"I'm going to lose anyways. You should have gone on." Alexander knelt by the knight's bed.

"Clearly this is not a time to interrupt, but each sentence becomes more awkward and more not the time…" Emma stepped into the conversation, "Are you two good? Shall I leave? I mean, you can take care of him, right Alexander?"

"Why? Because I'm…" He looked away as he couldn't utter who he was, "Because I'm in love?"

Emma walked around the bed to the side Alexander was on, "That… And because you actually paid attention in our first-aid lessons? I mean… if he had a gash or anything, I could magically heal that baby right up, but this is more… caring and tending neither of which I'm good at unless it is with whom I love…" She looked to Patrick, "If I had known the entire story I wouldn't have judged you or him any differently… We are the same… After all I'm in a competition to marry a woman, am I not?" She gave them a wink and patted Alexander on the shoulder, "If you need anything, please let me know." She said before poofing out of there.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma walked down the hallway when she saw the all too familiar black and purple smoke appear a ways in front of her, "Is everything alright?" The queen asked as she appeared.

"Fine." Emma nodded and started to walk passed her.

Regina rolled her eyes and grabbed her arm, poofing them to her bedchamber, "Why the hell did you let everyone know that you had magic?" She started, "No, better question, why didn't you ever tell your parents you were Pure One? Don't think that's not something they noticed, what with that blue smoke." her eyes were wide and disappointed, "They were stunned speechless."

Emma looked down, "I knew that if they knew they would become very strict. Require me to take courses; even get me studied… And, I didn't want to take any more courses than I had to. Besides, I know how to read. I simply went to our university and read all the books that any magic class used…" She shrugged.

Regina crossed her arms and stared at the blonde a moment, "Fine. I accept that. You do hate being on a schedule…" She reached out and took the blonde's cheek, "Why did you poof?"

"I had to." Emma looked anywhere but her.

"Why?" Regina took the blonde's face in her hands, making her stare at her.

Emma sighed, "They're in love." She whispered.

"Who?"

"Patrick and Alexander. They're in love and Alexander was going to blow his very, very frog's ass is watertight cover that he'd created for himself that we can actually all see straight through but still say is watertight. I knew he was because I've known him all our lives. And he caused his knight pain, which is going to hurt him even more… So, I poofed them so they could have some privacy."

Regina smiled and pulled the blonde in, "You did it for love."

"I did it for love." Emma nodded.

They shared a few kisses before poofing back into Patrick's room. Alexander was sitting on the bed, holding Patrick's hand, staring into his eyes intently, and Patrick was trying to assure Alexander that he was all right, "Sir Patrick, Prince Alexander." Regina spoke calmly as she interrupted them.

Alexander saw Emma then looked back to the Queen. He just knew that Emma was going to go nark on them and get them both disqualified. So, he lunged for her, but Regina's wave of a hand froze him in place.

"Emma tells me you two are in love." She gave them a happy smile. "Would you not rather be married to each other than myself?"

"His kingdom is as primitive as this one." Sir Patrick said as he sat up and rubbed his chest, "Mine accepts it, but merely as a politeness. And he's the royal, not me."

Regina nodded and waved a hand to release the Prince from his frozen state, "Well, we must change things for these kingdoms. For all kingdoms—Except the western Enchanted forest and the Caspian lands, of course…"

"You're in favor of a marriage like ours?" The Prince asked as he walked over to stand next to Emma, giving her a side hug in thanks and apology.

Regina glanced to Emma from staring at the prince next to her, "Can we trust them?"

"I think so. I kind of alluded already." Emma nodded.

Regina smiled, "I am in total and complete favor, Prince Alexander. Why do you think I allowed a woman in my competition?"

Alexander and Patrick looked to each other, "So you could marry her by tricking the system…"

Regina nodded, "We all have our secrets. Ours is that we need Emma to win."

"But she can just use her magic to win…" Alexander pointed out.

"Not in a competition like this." Emma shook her head, "For each event a magical person is made to wear a neutralizer, so that they cannot use magic if they tried." She held up the black band she'd worn on her arm throughout all the competitions, "When it's tied, it's activated." She shrugged.

Alexander nodded his head in understanding as did Patrick, "Thank you, for getting us out of there. I'm glad I didn't have to deal with any of them… Including my King and Queen. No offense to them, but—"

"They're overbearing… Name a pair of royals here who aren't." Emma smiled, relaxing the knight from feeling guilty over his frustration.

Regina looked to Patrick, "Sir Patrick, I do have to eliminate you from the competition." She looked to Alexander, "Prince Alexander, if you like, you can keep competing to appear…" She didn't finish her sentence at first, just waved her hand, "Princely…"

**AN: Read and Review! Thoughts and feels?**


	6. Chapter 6

Regina, Emma and Alexander all walked into the throne room regally like the royals they were, to find the rest of the royals and the advisors arguing like royals and nobles shouldn't.

Regina rolled her eyes. She would have to resort to a tactic she'd learned from schooling she'd observed of the commoners. She'd found when used, it made the royals (or the court more often) feel like a bunch of fools.

She took a breath, "If you hear my voice clap twice."

Emma and Alexander both looked at her with confused expressions.

So, she gave them a directed stare, and without raising her voice, she said again, "If you hear my voice clap twice."

They both clapped twice and turned their confused looks to one another.

Again, the Queen of the Shadow Lands turned to the room, "If you hear my voice clap twice."

The succession of claps from the Prince and Princess at the Queen's side alerted Prince Arely and his fathers, who were just enjoying the show at this point, to their presence. The three men clapped twice after Emma and Alexander. Regina nodded her thanks to them, as she saw this getting a few of her advisors' attention.

"If you hear my voice clap twice." She said a fourth time.

Jefferson, Pinocchio, Genie, Eric, Ariel, Arely, Emma and Alexander all clapped together. This garnered everyone else's attention. Graham, Hook and Bae all seemed disappointed that they didn't hear their Queen's voice.

She said it one more time for their benefit, knowing her advisors liked the childish game, "If you hear my voice clap twice."

Everyone in the room clapped two times; Graham, Hook and Bae all had smiles of thanks on their faces while they did, everyone else of course felt like fools as predicted. She subtly rolled her eyes and hid her chuckle from the room as she looked at everyone, "Why have I walked into a warzone?" She looked to all of them.

Jefferson and Pinocchio took a step forward and raised their hands in canon.

Pinocchio stuck his hands out, palms up and shrugged in a 'why not?' manner as he spoke, "If we may…"

Regina stared at him a moment then looked straight to the back wall, "I can't believe I am allowing you two to do this in the presence of all this royalty, but I see I've no choice and have many piqued interests." She looked back to the two men, "Just keep it short… As short as possible."

Jefferson knit his brows, "As if we deliver information any other way…"

With the roll of the Queen's eyes, the unimpressed purse of her lips and a snap of her fingers giving everyone chairs to sit in where they stood, the two gents started.

"You see, when we came in, all was silent." Pinocchio started them off.

"Yes, but the tension was thick."

"'Tis true. I almost looked for my wittling knife."

Jefferson gave his friend a look, "Of course you _wood_."

Pinocchio's brows rose in delight, "Oh, a pun! How fun! A pun."

"I thought you might enjoy it."

"So the tension was thick?" Emma asked, trying to get the show on the road for her Queen.

Regina looked over to the blonde, "Princess, if you try to make them go faster, they go slower…"

Jefferson pointed to the two women, "That is true, but not today."

"No, today is more important than all the other days."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because today is the day that we knock another man out of the competition…"

"Oh, right, of course. Do go on."

"So, we felt the tension right away."

Jefferson looked up to his Queen, "Naturally, we thought it best if one of the advisors try to understand what exactly was happening."

"And what we found was not one, not two, not even three or four, but an entire hand's worth—right hand in Hook's case—"

"Watch it, friend." Hook gave the former puppet a look.

Pinocchio raised his hands and finished his sentence as if not having been interrupted, "Of problems all stemming from the jousting event."

"Five problems? Really?" Regina asked.

"Yes, number one!" Jefferson started again, "Is Sir Patrick in fact disqualified?"

"It seems that some think he should be and some think he shouldn't be."

"Indeed. We all know his potential, we all know his titles."

"There's talk of wanting a rematch."

"And if the two of them get a rematch then everyone should…"

"So some of the royals think…" Pinocchio looked straight at his queen while he and Jefferson pointed specifically to some of the royals whose competitor failed a round or two.

"Yes, and some royals decided that the entire competition needs to start over."

"Mhmm, and that a certain Prince needs to be put back in…" They both pointed to Kings Ariel and Eric, who took to pointing at each other and looking around as nonchalantly as possible.

"We're not sure how, but this moves us on to number two." Jefferson stated.

"Yes, number two." Pinocchio cleared his throat before lunging forward and pointing dramatically at Emma causing the blonde to jump back in her chair next to the queen's throne a bit, "Should not the White Princess's magic give her an automatic disqualification?!"

Regina looked up and sighed, "Honestly," she whispered, giving Julie Andrews a run for her money.

"We are being honest, my queen." Jefferson assured, "It seems that some of the royals think that Emma will magic her way to the throne."

"However, the White King and Queen pointed out that their 'little princess'—" Pinocchio stopped, knowing Jefferson was going to interrupt him.

"That's just precious!" He grinned and pointed to the blonde, "'Little princess.'" He chuckled as the princess pulled her feet up to her chair and sunk down, reddening profusely.

"Yes, the little princess was already in line for a throne and didn't need to use her magic to get her anywhere."

"Then a certain King decided to point out that the White King and Queen did not know that the little princess even _had_ magic until this afternoon."

Both men pointed to King Thomas, who tried to act innocent, shaking his head.

"And from there… it escalated." Pinocchio said, "But let's just say that we separated the Kings and put them in respective corners."

Emma popped out from hiding behind her legs and looked at her flustered father. She grinned wide at him before looked to Alexander, who was only shaking his head as he looked to his father.

"My Daddy beat up your Daddy." She spoke softly, however most everyone could hear her.

"For good reason." Alexander nodded with a smirk gracing his lips.

"Excuse me prince and princess. We have the floor right now and we need to move onto number three." Jefferson said, mimicking a young, know-it-all, diva royal. He threw is invisible locks over his shoulder as he looked to the queen, "This also involves the Princess."

"Yes, and the funny thing is, no one actually seems to have issue with it, only question…"

"Number three. Should the White Princess actually be in the competition at all, given her gender?"

"Yes, and to be brief—"

"Yeah right. Cough, cough." Emma said as she looked to the queen. She found the woman glaring back at her.

Jefferson gave her a glare as well. "TO BE BRIEF…" He said turning back to his friend and clapping his shoulder, telling him to continue.

Pinocchio nodded and looked up to the queen, "All of the kings and queens are in agreement that no one cares about who we love, but a few of them refuse to defy the old ways…"

"Which brought about the fourth problem: The tensions between the new and old kingdoms."

"It goes without mentioning that there are two progressive lands represented here. There are two kingdoms that have passed progressive laws, but are still old in their ways, and four—five including our own that are old world."

"And for the most part, want to stay that way…" Jefferson and Pinocchio both pointed to Emma's and Alexander's parents.

Emma couldn't help but subtly turn her head, "Well, that's a little ironic, don't you think?"

"Too ironic…" Alexander rolled his eyes.

"But there are the other kingdoms that are indifferent or want to move forward—"

"Just to clarify," the queen interrupted, "What are we moving forward with, explicitly?"

"Regina…" Emma said softly so only the queen heard, and stared at her like it was a silly question.

Regina raised her hand to silence the princess and nodded her head to the men in gesture for them to continue.

"Well, the right for love, my Queen." Pinocchio started and looked to the ground.

"The right to marry for love and not obligation." Jefferson followed Pinocchio's motion, looking down as well, neither wanted to actually say it.

"They're arguing over keeping the laws against royal queer marriage in tact or actually moving forward into today's world." Hook, ever blunt, stood from his chair, hand on his hip in a huff.

Regina looked down at her knees, "Ah, I see. So the conversation stemmed from whether or not Sir Patrick is disqualified, which should be the _only_ issue at hand…" She paused and looked down at all the Royals as she stood and walked gracefully down the few steps to the main marble floor, "To the Princess needing to be eliminated automatically from her alleged use of magic, to her being a woman, to her being a woman and my being a woman." She pursed her lips, "And all the royals are gathered around arguing about that." Her tone was scolding and each and every royal felt it.

She walked over to Queens Red and Belle. She took a hand of either royal and kissed the tops of their hands. Then, since they were next to the queens, before she made her apology, she moved to Kings Ariel and Eric. She kissed either of their cheeks, "I apologize vehemently. Please…"

The four royals all smiled with good grace. "Think nothing of it, your majesty." Ariel said.

"Please. You didn't cause the commotion; it is simply old ways." Red continued.

"Yes, you've nothing to apologize for." Belle decided to speak now.

Regina nodded and made her way back to her throne, "You said there was a fifth?"

Jefferson pointed with a grin, "You're absolutely right, my Queen."

"Yes. Rounding nicely back to the competition, number five, why did Prince Alexander seem so concerned?" Pinocchio stated the last question.

Jefferson raised a hand to calm everyone as they were about to start a fuss again for this or that reason, "If you hear my voice clap twice."

Regina put her hands to her hips in threat, "Sir Jefferson."

"No!" he looked up at the queen pleadingly.

"My Queen, that's as far as they got in that one." Pinocchio explained.

Regina closed her eyes a moment before she nodded in understanding with a small smile, "Thank you, gentlemen."

They nodded, turned to the royals and bowed before walking to their places with the rest of the advisor.

Regina looked around, "I'm ashamed with most of the royals in this room, though I shouldn't need to say that. You people can't even conduct yourself properly for two days—"

"Yes, Mom, Pop! I am so disappointed!" Emma stood up and stared at her parents before looking at her dad and giving him a smile, "Except for the..whole..strangling thing, other than that! So disappointed!"

"Same for you Mom and Dad… and Alexandra!" Alexander decided to join in.

"Hey!" The princess was heard in the middle of the seated crowd.

"Honestly…" Regina muttered and shook her head.

"My apologies. I think it's the sitting up here. I feel powerful." Emma started pulling on her collar uncomfortably.

"Indeed." Alexander nodded and they both sat down quickly.

The queen stood and looked around silently preparing them for an announcement, "Sir Patrick as been disqualified. He is resting now. And King Edward, Queen Nancy? Again, you are more than welcome to stay for the rest of the competition."

"Thanks, your honor—I-I-I-I-I-I mean your queen—My Queen… Your majesty.." Nancy looked around, "I'm sorry, I'm from New York, I've been here like 8 years, but I still have no idea what I'm doing. I'll just stop talking now…"

"What's 'New York'?" Prince Chip asked.

Nancy looked a bit perplexed before she realized that she was surrounded by fairytale characters that had never heard of her realm, "It's just a place… It's not in this realm." He looked fascinated, but Nancy pointed to the Queen, "Pay attention." Then mouthed her apologies to the woman.

Regina continued, "Emma will not be eliminated. She's done nothing wrong. She hasn't used magic in a competition yet and she won't be able to."

"How do you know?" Thomas was skeptical.

Emma rolled her eyes, "Because I have to wear this neutralizer in every competition." She sighed and rolled her eyes as she held out her sash for everyone to see, "How many times am I going to have to tell people this?" She muttered before continuing, "The invitation told us to alert the queen if we were able to use magic. I did the evening of our arrival, so she would know to give me a neutralizer."

"She did." Regina nodded, "I assume some of you might recall yesterday morning, Genie gave her the black armband?"

"I can. I hassled her about it." Arely nodded and winked to the princess, "If you lose the competition, Love, I'll marry you."

"You and how many women?" Emma gave him smirk, garnering 'ooooo's from the rest.

"Enough." Regina looked between her love and the man she eliminated the day before, "Let's eat, shall we?"

**AN: Read and Review! Thoughts and feels?!**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: This is the chapter some of you have been waiting for. The one with their first meeting. The painting mentioned and the artist are both very real… Just so you all know. Feel free to google search if you want to see the painting I'm referring to!**

**AN2: A thousand apologies for not updating in a while! I will do my best to update again sometime tomorrow!**

Regina was in her all too luxurious bathroom. She filled the tub with rose petals and scents and with a snap of her fingers, steaming hot water. She snapped her fingers once more to turn the main lights off and lit all of her strategically placed candles.

She started disrobing when she heard a wolf whistle come from behind her. She jumped and froze in place before she saw her blonde lover's hair come into view and lips attach to her neck.

She slapped the blonde's arm, "I hate it when you do that."

"Hate it when I do what?" Emma pulled the brunette closer by the hips.

"Hate it when you scare me!" The queen turned into the princess's hold, and wrapped her arms tight around the princess's neck.

Emma pulled and stared into her brown orbs, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you…" She leaned in and kissed the queen's temple then cheek and finally her lips.

Regina pushed from the blonde and walked to the bathtub, dropping her robe as she went. "Care to join me?" She turned her head to the side, giving the younger royal an over the shoulder gaze to gauge the princess's reaction.

"Yeah." Emma yanked at her boots a few times before they finally released her feet and moved quickly to her shirt and pants as she made her way to the tub. She plopped into the tub, causing many a small splash, after the queen's regal entrance, then sighed and relaxed against the brunette's front.

After the second sigh, Regina knew that not everything was right, "What's wrong?"

Emma shook her head, "I just… I have a bad feeling. I don't know what for though. I don't know if it's for us, or for Alexander and Patrick, or for us, or for us…"

"You have a bad feeling for us?"

"I don't know."

"Darling, you said 'us' three times in your list of four…"

"I think that something bad is going to happen…" She looked up to her queen and smiled, "But I don't think we can worry about it tonight. I think something good is going to happen tonight." Her smile turned to a grin as she leaned up and kissed the brunette.

~0~0~0~0~0~

The next morning Emma woke up in her own room in her own bed without her own queen.

"Damn it, Regina. I hate it when you poof me back to the places I have to be." She mumbled as she ran around, slipping pants on, diving into a shirt and yanking her boots into place.

Two knocks came from her door, "Emma?" Her mother's voice drifted into the room as the door cracked open, "Darling, are you up?"

"Yeah, mom." She flung her body back onto the bed and looked at the ceiling.

Snow came into the room fully and crossed her arms, mindful of the parchment in her right hand, as she looked at her only baby, "Well, I suggest you hurry. Regina has decided to eliminate two competitors today."

The blonde sat up, confusion on her face. She'd mentioned nothing the night before, "What? How?"

The White Queen walked to the bed and sat down, "We've just received word. She's looking for a Renaissance man… or… woman." She gestured to her daughter. "She wants her spouse to be cultured and knowledgeable."

Emma bit her lip as she felt the cloud she was riding on when she woke up burst and she hit the ground with a hard splat, "I know stuff. I know lots of stuff."

"I know you do, my darling. I know."

Emma kept nodding along with her mother, "I know stuff." She said once more before heaving herself up. She rubbed her neck as she walked over to the vanity with a sigh and looked in the mirror.

Snow watched her baby girl as she worked on her hair. "Emma darling…?"

"What?" Emma didn't look at her mother as she pushed a couple pins in her hair, pulling the sides out of her face.

"Why is this so important to you?" The older White royal stood from the bed and walked to stand behind her daughter.

"I've told you—"

"What your father and I would accept as reason to be here… Why are _you_ here? Why is this so important?"

Emma looked down, "I want to prove myself."

"You have, my dear." Snow gathered blonde hair in her hands and pulled it off Emma's shoulders so the golden curls flowed down her back. She twisted one curl in her fingers and stared, "Do you hate our kingdom so much that you're trying to get out of your future obligation by using obligation?"

"No!" Emma rolled her eyes and pulled from her mother.

"Then why did you really insist on coming here and not letting us enter a different competitor?" Snow stared the younger woman down.

Emma looked around and finally settled on her slightly scuffed boots, "The Shadow Queen…"

"The Queen? The Queen has something over you? Is forcing you into the competition?" Snow took a step toward her daughter in earnest.

"No, nothing like that." Emma shook her head. She smiled the first real smile her mother had seen since the blonde had turned the legal age to marry three years before, "She's…" The smile fell before it brightened; her eyes brightened as well, "She's beautiful."

"You're beautiful…"

"She's breathtakingly stunning."

Snow's spine straightened and her jaw slacked slightly as her eyes widened with realization. "You're in love with her…" When her daughter said nothing she continued, "How do you even know her?"

Emma opened her mouth to speak, but her father came in.

"Ladies, ladies. Are you quite finished with all of this? I'm ready for breakfast before the big, boring events of the day."

"What are the big boring events of the day?" Emma pulled from the serious mood she'd been in to match the lightness of her father's.

"Art appreciation. Isn't that what the note said?" Charming looked to his wife.

Snow coughed, clearing her lumped throat as she looked at her daughter, "Yes." She nodded.

"Terrific." Emma was sarcastic as she grabbed her belt with her sword and knife, wrapped it around her body and made her way to the exit of their chambers.

~0~0~0~0~0~

The tables in the dining hall were different it seemed for every meal. This time, there was a large table for all of the royals without their representatives to sit at. There was a table for the two disqualified and their kings and queen, and a table for the remaining contestants. And, of course, as always, there was a table with Regina and her advisors.

Emma was quiet throughout breakfast. She felt Regina look her way a few times, but never looked up to her. She didn't understand how she was supposed to get through an art appreciation round. Regina knew she never paid attention to all of that.

Emma stood from her seat, wiped her mouth and excused herself from Alexander, Dunstan, Artie, Gustave and Chip. "Gentlemen." She gave them a half smile and a barely there, sarcastic curtsy before walking out of the dining hall.

She ran her fingers through her long golden locks and sighed. The competition had barely started and she already felt defeated. Over art no less. She looked up as she turned down the closest hallway that she wasn't positive she'd been down before.

This hallway she walked into was filled, like the rest of the hallways in the castle, with works of art from all the lands. But, as she walked up to a particular piece that had caught her eye, she knew she had been there before. This piece was there the first time she toured the castle. It was very colorful with heavy strokes. It was of a man and a woman—if you squinted, it could be two women, though that could just be how she wanted to see it. They were sitting on a park bench kissing.

Emma only knew what a park bench was because she'd traveled to foreign lands, not unlike the Shadow Lands, and had been fortunate enough to run and play in parks. She'd always wished that the White Kingdom would make a park somewhere. But if they had, then she never would have met Regina.

~0~0~0~0~0~

A sixteen-year-old White Princess was supposed to be headed north to meet up with her father on a hunt, but something had pulled inside her to go south, to get away from the royal guards and see how other lands operated. She'd heard of the Shadow Lands, heard tales of a wicked queen; she'd also heard that the Shadow Lands are the best lands around, that they are the richest and fullest and that the queen was as lovely as her apples.

Emma loved apples. Her mother never cared for them though, so it was a rarity they were ever in the castle. As soon as she crossed the border from her lands she saw apple trees lining the road. It was like a grand welcoming to the Shadow Lands. The rumors and scary stories she'd heard had to have been false. She steered Ice to one of the trees and plucked a juicy, lusciously red apple from one of the trees. She wiped it against her shirt before taking a bite. Dear gods, it was everything an apple should be.

As she approached a main road she saw signs and arrows pointing her to either 'the villages' or 'the park and castle'. She had been on Ice's back for a while and decided to give him a break—and the core of her apple.

"Well, Ice… I've never been to 'the park'. I wonder what it is. A pub? That's what our local signage marks…" She watched the horse neigh and stamp his foot as if shrugging, "Either way, it must be more scenic than villages, right?"

She took the horse by his reigns and walked with him about a mile before getting to what she assumed to be 'the park.'

"Ice.. this is lovely. Look! Those things fly!" She pointed to children flying kites, "People have hounds of their own! They're not running free!"

"Excuse me, miss?" Emma turned and saw a short man with a silver mustache, dressed in a deep, dark purple, "Might I hold onto your horse while you enjoy the park? You've been traveling."

"How could you tell?"

"You've never seen a park…" He smiled before turning, "I run the stable for travelers just over there. Will you come sign him in for me? He can rest while you explore."

Emma got no bad inkling from this man, so she looked to Ice to see what he wanted. He pointed his snout to the stable, "Alright. Thank you so much, sir."

"You're welcome!"

Emma smiled at his sincerity, "Is everyone as nice as you? Where I come from villagers and peasants work to get money, they don't necessarily like what they do and tend to put on a happy front, but you seem happy and content.—Maybe we should get a park…" She looked around once more.

He chuckled, "And where are you from, milady?"

"Enchanted North, sir." She smiled as she signed where he indicated.

"Oh yes… I hear you busybodies don't take time to enjoy what you have. There's so much hustle and bustle up there—Is it true that you have people living in buildings like hotels but all with their own tiny kitchens?"

Emma nodded, "Yes, we call them 'apartments'."

"Apartments… Huh… I don't think they'll catch on."

Emma grinned, "Well, we'll just have to see. I hope parks catch on." She pushed from the entrance of the stables, "Thank you, sir."

The man only smiled, "You're welcome, milady."

Throughout the afternoon, Emma walked through the entire park. She saw many puppet shows and different booths people set up. She enjoyed a frozen treat called 'ice cream' as she explored. She eventually came to a halt at one of the benches that lined the pathways and sat down.

"A park bench." She smiled as she sat back, letting her legs rest and watched hustle and bustle of the children and passersby.

"You must be the foreigner." A woman's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Emma squinted into the setting sun to find the most beautiful woman she thought she'd ever seen in her life. She shook her head to collect her thoughts, "I'm already famous?"

"Vinny was going on and on about how 'apartments' are real and he met a Northerner that told him so." The brunette woman sat next to her, "And you are the only soul looking around this place in awe, which makes me think you've never seen a park before…"

Emma shook her head, "I have not."

"I'm Regina." The brunette smiled as she sat down.

"Emma."

"Emma, how long are you hear for?"

"I'm not sure… I'm actually supposed to meet my father for a hunting trip, but I decided to go south instead of north."

"Why would you do that?"

Emma smiled, "So I could meet you." She grinned as the other woman blushed, "So I could try new things, like eat ice cream and sit on a park bench. But mainly, I think it was fate telling me to meet you."

"And why would fate have you meet me?"

Emma's grin only brightened, "True love and all of that."

Regina's face didn't hide her shock or amusement, "Oh, so you're in love with me? Because I walked over and sat on a bench with you?"

Emma shrugged, "Do I need another reason?"

Regina's face sobered and she pursed her lips, "You're a child. You have no idea what love is."

"I do." Emma nodded, "My parents have shown me. They've also told me that it'll hit me like a thousand lightning bolts, and Regina? I've just been struck."

Regina rolled her eyes and sat back, "Hardly."

"Completely."

Regina stared at the blonde a bit more, "Really? You'd drop your entire life as you know it, move here and be with me forever?"

Emma scratched at her collar, "If I was able to get out of responsibilities, yes."

"And what does a young, flirtatious, tomboy have to be responsible for?"

Emma glanced to the side, "The kingdom when my parents step down, for one…"

Regina stared at the girl, "…You are Emma Louise Swan White, Princess of the Northern Kingdom?"

"Aye." Emma nodded before chuckling, "You know my middle names."

"You didn't send me notice to tell me you were coming. I would have had quarters set up for you…"

"I told you, it was a last minute decision—Wait, what?" Emma whipped her head to the other woman.

"Begging your pardon, but is it not customary to tell the royal of the land you're traveling to that you are traveling there? And is it not customary for the royal to put you up?"

"You're the queen?" Emma stared at the brunette with wide, puppy eyes.

"Aye." Regina decided to try to mimic the blonde princess.

Emma pushed off the bench and knelt before the queen, "Your Majesty."

"Oh please. No formalities. Not after we've gotten to know each other _so well_." Through her sarcasm, Regina tried to get the blonde back on the bench.

Emma smiled and stayed kneeling. She looked around as the sun's setting caused people around them to thin out. She pulled on the chain on her neck until it broke, took the white gold band that formed a ringed snowdrop flower with a diamond in the middle from it and looked up to the brunette, "Will you marry me?"

"Are you serious? You cannot be serious." Regina stared at the other woman.

"It's a 'yes' or 'no' question, Regina." Emma was obviously waiting on one of those two answers.

"NO! Gods, no! What is the matter with you?!" Regina slapped Emma's hand with the ring away.

Emma grinned, "Nothing. I just thought I'd ask that first so that this doesn't seem so crazy and foolish…"

Regina knit her brows, "What doesn't seem—Mm!"

Emma pushed up and kissed Regina right there on the park bench for all to see. No one was around to see it, thank gods, but they could have if they were.

Regina pushed the blonde off, her purple magic sparked from her fingertips in warning and Emma only gave her a foolishly wide grin.

"I see our first kiss was magical." The blonde said as she let her own form of blue and white sparks bounce from her fingers.

Regina leaned forward in awe, "You have magic?"

"Yes."

"It's blue." Regina noted as she reached out for the blonde's hand and watched with envy and awe as the blue sparks went from finger to finger.

"It's all natural." Emma smirked as if she'd turned their conversation dirty. "You wanna go back to your bedchamber and I can really show you what I can do?"

Regina stood, shoving the blonde on her ass and looked down at her, ever superior, "You're a pig." She started to walk away.

"Yet, I'm completely, undeniably adorable and you do want to take me up on my offer." Emma scrambled to her feet and chased after the brunette, "I promise I'll be a gentlewoman. I'll strictly let you enjoy my magic versus your own purple, darker kind… We don't even have to go to your bedchamber… Please?"

Regina stared at the bench they'd shared and back to the blonde, "I'm not that kind of woman. I don't let people into my bedchamber anytime _they_ damn well please. I'm not a prostitute."

"I never said you were…"

"You sure didn't mind treating me like one…" Regina sized the blonde up, "Why should I let you into my bedchamber? How do I know you'll come back?"

"Because I love you." Emma said with a bright, innocent smile.

"You're ridiculous."

"You're lovely."

Regina shook her head as she debated on what to do with the blonde princess of the north.

~0~0~

"Tell me princess, how did you get that kind of magic?" Regina asked as she scooted into the naked blonde's open lap on the floor in front of the fire. She wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck, fingers delving into her golden hair and her lips pecking against the princess's.

"What kind of magic?" Emma let her hands run up Regina's bare legs to her hips then up and down her soft, warm sides.

They were far from modest at this point in the night as hands lingered over exposed skin and the fire kept them warm.

Regina let her fingers run down Emma's sinewy arms, "The alleged Pure kind. I know that's what it is. I've read about it, but I've never seen it." She looked up to the blonde, "Do you realize how rare a breed you are?"

"I'm not an animal. I'm Emma. I'm a Pure One, yes. But, _no_ _one_ knows. Not even my parents." The White Princess leaned down and kissed the Shadow Queen's collarbone, "It's not something I'm in favor of advertising. People will just want to study me or use me or try to come after me for the simple reason that I have a different magic than everyone else in this realm."

"Then why give me a show and tell?" Regina played with a curl that ran down Emma's chest.

"Because of all things I've already told you tonight."

"Because you love me and want to marry me?" Regina asked deadpan.

"Yes." Emma's answer was simple.

Regina bit her lip as she leaned in, "You are a rare one indeed." She pressed her lips to the blonde's and pulled her to lay on top of her in the mess of blankets and sheets and pillows they'd brought with them from her bed.

"You should just say 'yes' now and get it over with." Emma smirked as she waved her fingers in a flourish producing the snowdrop ring she'd tried to give the woman earlier.

Regina stared at it; it was beautiful. It had to have taken a long time to make. There was such graceful skill and precision behind the elegant diamond snowdrop. "It's beautiful."

"It was my grandmother's." Emma smiled, "My mother gave it to me when I was young. She told me she wanted me to have it for when I marry and the only reason she didn't use it was because of my other grandmother's ring… It guided my father to her when she was put into a sleeping curse."

Regina looked away and closed her eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing." The brunette shook her head, "It's a beautiful ring."

"It's yours." Emma smiled when Regina couldn't do anything but watch on in awe as she slid it on her finger. "You probably won't ever put it back on after you take it off in the morning and send me on my way. But it's yours."

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Princess…?" The Queen's voice shook Emma from her memory of their first encounter.

The princess turned, her blonde curls falling from her shoulder, to see the hall's other occupant. "Hi."

Regina looked around to make sure no one else was around, "Is everything alright, darling?"

Emma gave the woman a half shrug before she turned back to the colorful painting. She pointed to it then quickly put her hand down. She leaned forward to look at the plate at the bottom of the frame, "'Passion Evening'. Leonid Afremov." She crossed her arms and tilted her head. "I like this one."

Regina couldn't help the smile that was gracing her face, "Emma Louise Swan White…" She took a few steps forward, but knew the blonde didn't want to be touched, "Are you actually expressing interest in art?"

Emma shook her head, "No… Parks. Park Benches." She mumbled the last words.

Regina looked at the painting again and smiled even wider than before, "Ah, yes. Parks and benches. You love those." When all she got was a nod, she continued, "You first kissed me that night…" Another nod, "And you proposed the first time…" And after this third nod, Regina decided to risk touching her lover. She reached out and gently laid her hand on her shoulder, and to her surprise, the blonde didn't shrug away. "And we first…" Emma took the hand that was touching her and kissed it, nodding once more with a sweet, sad smile, "What's going on with you?"

"I'm going to lose." Emma swallowed hard and looked at the Queen, "I don't know art like I should. You know that… I'm going to lose."

Regina enveloped her in a hug, "You're not going to lose."

"How do you know?" The blonde buried her face into Regina's neck and wrapped her arms around her middle tight.

"I know because you are far more inclined to art than you think. Art isn't just paintings and portraits…" Regina took her face, "Darling, it's theatre and music and dance. You know those. And you of all people know it's representative of our souls… And I never specified the kind of art we'll be appreciating."

Emma pushed forward and claimed the queen's lips with her own. Regina's arms wrapped around Emma's neck, her fingers tangling in her hair.

A gasp was heard from down the hall, immediately pulling the women apart.

"Well, my, my, my…"

Emma, who had turned away from the person, whipped back around when she realized the voice she heard was unfamiliar. She saw the horned crown poking through blonde, curly, frizzy hair. When the woman began advancing, Emma stepped in front of Regina and drew her sword.

The woman chuckled, "Now, now, Precious." She flashed forward, pushed the sword down and took Emma's chin in her hand. "I'm an old friend."

**AN: Dun-dun-duuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnn. Read and Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Thank you all so much for the reviews and favorites! The response is awesome! I'm going to tell you this… There are going to be more cliffhangers. I like this whole leaving you guys needing more. One of my friends who I've sent each chapter to has been getting on to me about the cliffhangers. I grin evilly. *evil laugh here* But really. You guys are awesome! I love that you guys are liking this story!**

_"Well, my, my, my…"_

_Emma, who had turned away from the person, whipped back around when she realized the voice she heard was unfamiliar. She saw the horned crown poking through blonde, curly, frizzy hair. When the woman began advancing, Emma stepped in front of Regina and drew her sword._

_The woman chuckled, "Now, now, Precious." She flashed forward, pushed the sword down and took Emma's chin in her hand. "I'm an old friend."_

Emma's nostrils flared and Regina knew then that she needed to step in, "Maleficent?" Regina placed her hand on Emma's arm, mainly keeping her oh-so-secret lover from starting anything with that damn sword her father got her for her 15th birthday. She stepped around the princess and looked to the other witch, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see for myself if you, who always spoke so _fondly_ of true love and finding it, were selling yourself out to the highest bidder…" Maleficent looked to Emma, "Though I can see the bidding must be quite…" she sucked in a breath and Regina did not like the purple that began swirling in the witch's eye, "Deliciously low…"

"Excuse me!?" Emma tried to push passed Regina, but the Shadow Queen wouldn't let her.

"Darling, please!" The pleading look in Regina's eyes made Emma sink down and sheath her sword.

"My, my… I can see you've already had your pets trained. Where are the others?" Maleficent looked around knowing she wouldn't find anyone else in the hallway. Though that didn't stop her, "Oh my…" nor did it stop the knowing grin that formed on her face, "Has the Queen of the Shadow Lands taken fancy to one of her little contestants? Or do these tawdry little flings happen with all of them?" She took a step towards Regina, "Tell me dear, does Arely live up to his rumors?"

Regina pursed her lips, "Maleficent, why are you here?"

"Dear, why are you so curt? Can't a dear friend come for a friendly visit?"

Regina's chin rose high and her eyes looked down on the slightly shorter witch, "You are neither a dear friend nor friendly, and you never come here or send for me unless you need something. So tell me." She closed the space between them until they were mere intimidating inches from each other. Her tone was low and threatening, "What. Do. You. Want?"

Maleficent's tone was fleeting, "I don't want to tell you yet. It can wait. I'd much rather watch the competition first." The frizzy blonde's tone was delightfully dangerous. "Though, I think it'd be best to offer me something for me to keep my mouth shut about this.." She motioned between the two of them.

Emma started to move from behind Regina, but the queen stopped her, "What do you want for your silence?"

"I think that I will have a marvelous time with your princess there…" Maleficent's eyes lit up once more, showing her teasing to the Shadow Queen. "She's absolutely delectable for a simple, stubborn-minded royal. I'd love to teach her a few things."

"The hell you would!" Emma, not realizing Maleficent was pushing her buttons, took her dagger from her back and glared at the blonde.

"Darling, you have no idea what you're missing." Maleficent's teasing air was completely gone, in place, a confident seriousness that rivaled the Shadow Queen's.

"Oh really?" This time Emma was successful in her attempt to sneak passed her queen. She inhaled the other blonde's scent and looked at her with a smirk, "You smell of pine, roses, vanilla, smoke… and pork. You live in the Forbidden Mountain. You're _that_ witch. The one that tried to take Aurora's life when she was but a babe." Emma laughed, "I've been to Aurora's castle and I've seen a few of your goons. Believe me when I say that I would enjoy none of what you have to offer me." She looked the witch up and down, "I'd be _completely_ unsatisfied."

Maleficent, now provoked, reached up and touched Emma's cheek. Emma saw the glow from the woman's hand as it came in contact with her and she felt the warmth spread throughout her body. She smirked, "What, did you kill or imprison a succubus to take or learn their trade?" She swiped the hand away and crossed her arms, "Or are you part succubus yourself?"

Maleficent looked at her hand then back to Emma. She looked between them like she was watching a tennis match, "How can you defy me after that?"

"I don't know. I'm just a simple, stubborn-minded royal." Emma looked up when she heard the side doors to the hall open, "You'll understand that Regina and I need to go back now and we'll get all this settled later, right?"

Emma gestured for Regina to go first before she followed. Red and Belle stood at the end of the hall they were in.

"Is everything all right?" Red asked.

Emma stared at her mother's old friend with a curious expression. Her mother had spoken fondly of Queen Red, but Emma never knew if the rumors regarding Red being a werewolf were true or not because she never had the guts to ask. But as she eyed the queen, she realized that she knew this woman was far beyond human.

"We're fine."

"Are you sure?" Red looked down the hallway.

Emma turned around and found that the other witch had flashed out of sight. She turned back to the three Queens before her, "It's taken care of." Emma nodded. "Shall we?"

Belle and Regina walked back into the dining hall, but Red kept back and waited for a moment alone, "How long?"

Emma knit her brows, "Pardon?"

"How long have you been in love with her? And she with you?"

The blonde looked down, "I haven't the faintest—"

"Horse shit." Red cut her off. And, when Emma gave her a surprised look that held both anger and amusement, Red decided to continue, "The rumors you've heard are true. I am a werewolf and I _know_ that you two are in love with each other. I can smell it. I can hear things that most people don't. Like private conversations in a woman's bedchamber. And our guest chambers are next to both yours and the Shadow Queen's. So how long?"

Emma swallowed hard. She didn't say anything, though it was visible she was caught between a rock and a hard place.

Red gave her a sympathetic look, "I assure you, I am not going to say anything to _anyone_. And you needn't worry about Belle or Chip either. Chip knew something before I did. He has a better nose than me and the brains and secret love of romance novels like his mother…"

Emma inhaled deeply, "I've loved her since I saw her…"

"So the competition is rigged?" Red's tone was not surprised or angry, but calm.

"No, your Majesty. There now is a 1 in 6 chance that I will win. Everything is authentic as it seems."

Red gave the princess a look, "Why?"

"Because it is the only way it could be done and our marriage to stay a marriage forever without any trial or question of its… sincerity." Emma knit her brows knowing that wasn't the right word. Then if came to her, "Of its integrity."

Red nodded along, "Because if the competition was rigged in a nation like this, the court would give it to the runner up, call your marriage off and make it overly official with that runner up."

"Exactly."

Red pursed her lips and gestured with her head to come back inside, "You have your mother's chin." She changed the subject as the reentered the dining hall.

Emma smiled, "So I've been told. She told me you and she were close."

Red nodded, "We were. Once. But that was a long time ago. Before she met her Charming and I met my Beauty."

Emma stared at her, "Why do I get the feeling that it was more than 'close'?"

Red gave the young royal a small smile of sincerity, "Because it was."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma was fuming on the inside as she lined up with Sir Gustave, Prince Alexander, Prince Chip, Prince Dunstan, and Prince Artie. She stared her mother down as Regina stood before them. The royals (both the disqualified and the Kings and Queens of the many lands) and the advisors all lined up along a long table on a platform facing the remaining six.

Emma wasn't sure if she was angry with her mother not telling her of past romances or worried about Maleficent, who had yet to make another appearance. It had only been 15 minutes since the hallway incident, but that scared her more than anything else.

"Princess?" Regina called for her attention.

"Huh?" She grunted as she shook from her stupor.

"Do you understand the rules?"

Emma swallowed hard, this was the same feeling she got when her mother walked in on her tutoring to find that she'd learned nothing but got really good at drawing her horses. She blushed, but tried to hide it by talking confidently, "I'm sorry, I need to hear them one more time."

Regina knit her brows, playing dumb for their audience, "Are you ill?"

"No, my Queen, just mindless as Fiyero…" she trailed off, hoping that that would be enough to satisfy the royals and the Shadow Queen (not Regina, but the _Queen_).

Regina pursed her lips as collective chuckles spread throughout the room. She crossed her arms, "I will dance a Viennese Waltz, Argentine Tango, Mambo, Paso Doble, Quickstep, and Foxtrot. One dance with each of you, then one will be eliminated."

Emma decided to become bold, "What? No Lindy Hop or Jitterbug?"

Snow White, along with most everyone else in the room gasped loudly.

Regina gave the blonde a wicked look, "That's round two." She held her hand up to calm the room down as she continued, "Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, Jive, Charleston and Lambada." As her hand fell, the rest of the royals and the advisors, and the band that was there to play music, all started turning to each other giving their input and feelings on the matter.

Belle grabbed Red's hand, "Those are the five forbidden dances…" She whispered.

Red had a growing smile on her face, "This competition just got a whole lot more interesting for me…" She turned to her wife and saw the devilish smirk, "You're jealous that we don't get to dance one of them."

Belle matched her wife's grin, "A little. Yeah."

Emma in the meantime gave her all-too-secret lover a look that tried to scold her, but couldn't because this competition just got fun. She held her hand up trying to calm at least the other competitors so she could ask her question, "So, this appreciation of art thing? No one is getting eliminated based on their taste or knowledge in fine art?"

"No. I couldn't very well say that we were going to dance two sets of dance, one fit for ballroom and one fit for all of our kingdoms' underground nightlife, could I…?"

Emma nodded and shrugged, not knowing what else to do. "I think I understand the rules now, My Queen."

"Lovely." Just as Regina was going to pick her first contestant, the doors to the ballroom clicked and a tiny figure toddled through the door in a baby blue, frilly dress.

"Grace?!" Jefferson stood to go get his daughter, but Regina turned to him and shook her head.

Regina smiled at the toddler and knelt down in her spot, "Come here, little one."

Grace smiled and ran as fast as her two-and-a-half-year-old legs could carry her to the queen.

"Oh, hello, beautiful!" Regina said as the young girl hugged her tight.

"Hi." Grace said, causing every parent and kid-friendly person in the room to coo and awe.

"Just why did Delaney let you come in here?"

Grace looked anywhere but at the queen or her father.

"Oh, I see. Was someone all-too-curious about what all the people were here for?"

"And I miss my daddy." She pointed to the man in question.

"Well, those are very good reasons to try and succeed in coming in here." Regina nodded as she started walking with the girl in her arms, "Would you like to help me, little one?"

"Uh huh." Grace nodded.

"Would you like to pick a person from these six here and tell them what dance they will dance with me?" She said as she pointed to the contestants.

"Otay!" She clapped her hands and wiggled out of Regina's grasp back to the floor.

The toddler marched up and down the row and stopped in front of Emma. She knit her brows and crooked her finger a couple times in askance for the blonde to come to her level. Once Emma relented and squatted, the toddler took a few steps in, invading her space completely. She grabbed Emma's cheeks and stared at her, "You're a lady."

Emma tried to contain her laughter, "Yes, I am."

Grace nodded, "Yeah… I like your hair. I want mine to look like yours."

"Well, thank you." Emma smiled, "I'll show you how sometime, alright?"

"Otay!" Grace stepped back, releasing the blonde and marched the lot of them once more. She stopped in front of Alexander and pointed up at him, "I choose him buhcause he matches my blue!" The toddler gestured to her blue dress and his blue suit.

Alexander smirked as he looked to Emma by his side, "I really do though." He whispered.

Emma smirked back, "Oh, Alexander." She patted his shoulder before moving off the dance floor with the rest of them, sitting in the chairs provided in front of the advisors.

"Now, miss Grace, what dance will we be dancing?" Regina asked the young girl.

"I dunno!" She turned to her father, "Daddy!" She ran over and climbed up Dunstan to get to the top of the table to her father. She turned back to Dunstan after getting settled, "Sorry."

Dunstan was brightening a little, so everyone knew he was fine, if not delighted by the little girl, "You are quite all right." He said with a smile.

Grace stared at him with wide eyes, "You're glowy!"

Dunstan smirked, "Well, I'm part star. It happens."

Grace looked to her father, "I wanna be part star!"

Jefferson smiled, "Well, my love, in my eyes you are." He hugged his daughter tight as she burrowed into him, "Are you going to pick a dance for the queen like she asked you?"

"I don't know what to pick…"

Pinocchio was quick to write the six dances down, "Pick one of these, Gracie."

Grace looked at the paper, then closed her eyes and let her finger land where it may, "Dat one."

Jefferson looked at where her finger was, "The Viennese Waltz." He provided.

Regina nodded, "That's quite fitting to be the first dance of the day, hmm?" She smiled to Alexander as she snapped her fingers changing her outfit.

"Indeed." Alexander nodded as he noted that the queen now matched his outfit as well. "I see you've decided to let in color to your wardrobe." She smirked at him and gave him a wink. He then took a quick look around the room and found Patrick looking back at him. He smiled as he turned back to see Regina cuing up the band and took his starting position.

They moved around the room gracefully. All of the anticipated sweeping turns were elegant and lovely. They rotated and spun as if they were two professionals as they listened to the ballad-like music and kept perfect time.

When they finished they got applause. Regina looked to Alexander before curtsying while he bowed, "Thank you, Prince Alexander."

Alexander took her hand and kissed the top, "My Queen."

"Daddy, I want to dance!" Grace said excitedly bouncing in her father's lap.

"We will later, my love." Jefferson assured her, "Pick another contestant."

Grace crawled from her father's lap and stood on the table, looking down at all of them.

"Grace! You know you're not supposed to walk on the table."

"She's fine, Jefferson." Regina said, calming the man, trying to rid him of embarrassment as the rest of the royals from all the lands saw the infinite freedom that his daughter had.

Ariel leaned over and looked down to the man, "Arely still walks on our table when attention isn't given to him."

"I do not!" Arely gave his father a glare.

"Oh, you do too." Eric clapped his son's shoulder, telling him not to argue.

"So does Shrek, when he's hungry and there's no food out." Fiona smirked to her husband.

"I do!" he turned to the rest of them as they all stared at him with hidden smirks, "When an ogre is hungry, he needs food. Or, he _or she_" He glanced pointedly to his wife, "turns into the mythical, scary, angry, ogre and rampages and pillages villages." He shrugged as he leaned back.

Ella decided to comment, "Yes, she is just fine. I'm sure all of us with children know that this age is the age that anything and everything is acceptable."

Grace had been staring at Shrek and Fiona ever since they spoke. She toddled all the way down to them and stared. She reached out and flicked at Fiona's ear, then once Fiona flinched she jumped back.

"You're a real ogre?" She asked.

Fiona chuckled, "Yes, I am."

"Do you have ogre babies?"

"We do, but they stayed home with their grandparents so they wouldn't interrupt the competition."

Grace's face was pure delight as she looked down to the five contestants, "Which one is yours?" She asked them, "None of them is a ogre…"

"Well, you see, Fiona used to be human, but an evil witch cast a curse on her so she would be part ogre and then whoever her true love was would reveal her true self." Shrek started.

"And she loves you and you're a ogre, so she is too!" Grace clapped her hands.

"That's right." Fiona nodded.

Grace looked back to the contestants, "So, which one is yours?"

Shrek chuckled, "Artie." He provided.

Grace skipped back to her father and looked to the queen, "I pick," she scrunched her face and tried to match Shrek's accent as she said, "Artie."

Regina nodded and Artie stood, "And what will Prince Artie and I be dancing?"

Grace looked to the page Pinocchio made for her and pointed, "That one." She looked at Pinocchio to tell the queen which dance.

"The Foxtrot."

Regina snapped her fingers and immediately put Artie into a suit fitting of the dance and her dress was a classic style for the dance as well. She cued the music. Honestly, she was not expecting much from this competitor. He was so young. He was quirky, and he was a little bit clumsy. And this dance was neither quirky nor clumsy. It was smooth and followed a distinct pattern.

She was surprised when Artie not only knew that the dance pattern was slow-quick-quick-slow, but knew the weave and the feather step. He was the complete opposite of his character on the dance floor.

"My, my, Prince Artie…"

Artie smirked, "There aren't a lot of things I'm good at, but there a few things I'm great at. And dancing is one of them." The music then came to a close and Artie pulled from the queen after kissing her hand, following Alexander's display of gentlemanliness and made his way back to his seat between Dunstan and Emma.

Emma stared at him blankly.

He only held in a chuckle, "I know." He said through a smirk, "I'm awesome."

"Intimidatingly so." Dunstan nodded. He was not glowing anymore.

Grace interrupted anything Emma thought she might say. The toddler was laying on the table and reached her hand down, tapping the top of Emma's head.

"You're it." the little girl smiled.

Emma smiled back up to her and stood up, "Okay, miss Grace." She stood up, "And what will the Shadow Queen and myself be dancing?"

"Da kickstep."

"Quickstep, Grace." Hook corrected.

"Yeah! Dat's what I said, Uncle Hook!" Grace crawled over to her uncle and pet his scruffy face before grasping the metal hook and swinging his arm back and forth.

Hook nodded along, "Yes you did."

No one could ever get over seeing Hook interact so delicately with a child. He was born to be a father. He was a father without a child.

Regina snapped her fingers changing herself and her partner's clothes, but Emma's didn't change. She knit her brows, "What…?"

"…What?" Emma asked as she took in the backless number that Regina magicked herself into for this dance.

"I tried to change you."

Emma, not facing the crowd in the room gave her secret lover a bored look, mainly to mask how attracted she was to her in this moment, before holding up her arm, "Could _your_ magic-proofing sash possibly prevent _you_ from using _your_ magic on me while I'm wearing it as well?"

"Right." Regina nodded. The Genie and any other magical being could use magic on the blonde while she wore it, but since the sash—even though by the Genie's hand—was crafted from her magic it made both of their magics neutral.

Regina stared at the girl, telling her to take it off. Emma rolled her eyes with a sigh and took off the sash.

Snow leaned into her husband, "This is ludicrous. She's no idea how to dance a quickstep!" She whispered.

"She'll figure it out." Charming whispered back as he watched the Shadow Queen and his daughter interact.

Regina pointed to Emma this time, letting magic drip through her finger over the blonde princess and changed her into a very feminine suit. Emma was impressed and tied the sash back around her arm quickly as Regina cued for music.

Emma swiftly took Regina in a hold and began leading her around the dance floor. Their movements were executed perfectly and their steps were completely in sync.

Snow knit her brows as she watched her daughter dance with the Shadow Queen, "Charming…" She whispered, leaning into her husband.

"She's good." He whispered back with a small grin on his face.

"She's wonderful."

Patrick was sitting next to them. He knit his brows and stared at them a moment. For a kingdom that is known for love and family (and work ethic), the royals didn't seem to know their daughter at all. Though that could be because their daughter tells them nothing, but one could never be positive.

Snow felt his stare and looked back to him, "Yes?"

"Nothing, your majesty." He turned back to the performance as it ended.

Emma gave a bow as Regina curtsied her way then she took the brunette's hand and kissed it like the other men. They couldn't hide their mutual attraction for each other in this moment, but they did their damndest. The advisors, Red, Belle, Patrick, Alexander, Chip and Artie all stole subtle glances at this moment figuring out who else knew, or thought they might know, about this attraction in stealthy silence while everyone else sat in ignorance.

Chip and Dunstan both danced beautifully, Chip danced a Tango and Dunstan a Paso Doble. Chip's execution of each pose surprised Regina because the Prince was usually so shy and tame, but the man knew how to dance. And Dunstan's ability to appear steady and strong while he stomped and handled his cape impressed Regina to no end; she knew he was sweet and charming, but she did not know he would be able to take the bull by the horns, so to speak.

Regina started to think that this elimination was going to be really hard, but then came the normally charming Sir Gustave. Their dance was the Mambo, the most sensuous and raunchy of the ballroom dances. Sir Gustave got a little too raunchy as he and Regina's hips pressed together and moved as one. And then, he got a little too confident in his skill of seduction. He tried to sneak kisses on Regina's neck, and he would sigh in her ear.

It was in a particular hold, he was dipping Regina low and Regina had to turn her head to avoid his eyes that hers locked with Emma's. He nuzzled over her ear before he brought his mouth up and whispered, "I want to make love to you, and you can't deny that you want to make love to me." Before sticking his tongue in her ear.

Emma stood up, clearly angry and Regina was quick to have the audience keep their focus on her as she poofed out of Sir Gustave's arms. "Thank you, Sir Gustave." She pointed to his seat before wiping her ear.

Gustave knit his brows in confusion before clasping his hands over his front discreetly and walking over to the indicated seat, which thank gods was on the opposite side of Emma's.

Emma leaned forward and glared at him; the rest of the men looked at him with shock clearly evident on their faces—especially Alexander.

"What?" Gustave looked at them.

"You're a pig." Emma didn't hesitate to put in her two cents.

"No." Gustave shook his head, "I am French. We are _big_ romantics. I may get a little excited in a dance, but make no mistake. I am no pig."

Artie decided to butt in before the only friend he'd made in the competition lost it. He put his hand on Emma's shoulder, keeping her grounded as he chuckled arrogantly, "That may be, but that doesn't mean you should stick your tongue in a woman's—a Queen's ear during a Mambo. I mean, it's a sensual dance, but bro, methinks you just got yourself eliminated."

"You think _I_ just got eliminated? Really? What about you?"

"What about me? I'm awesome." This display of confidence threw most of the royals for a loop.

"You flourish your moves too much."

"My dance was a Foxtrot, what else am I supposed to do? Besides, I finished my dance."

After a thorough wiping of the ear that got licked, Regina collected herself after a shiver of disgust and moved to the center of the room to stand before everyone. She took in the fact that not three of her contestants were bickering, but all six were quarrelling. She looked up to her advisors, "Maybe I should eliminate everyone and find new contestants…"

Her voice seemed to carry through at a deafening rate. Dunstan, Artie, Emma, Alexander, Chip and Gustave all stopped immediately and looked at the queen.

"Is this honestly how you behave yourselves?"

"Oh, right, pardon the five of us for getting onto the _jackass_ that just licked your face." Emma mumbled under her breath causing everyone but Gustave to snicker and look down.

"What was that, Princess?"

Emma held her head up high as she looked to the Queen, "I said, 'I'm sorry that the five of us that didn't dance with our tongue in your ear and scolded the one that did.' We just thought it highly inappropriate seeing as this is a competition for your hand and we are to be acting scholarly and noble and gentlemanly at all times." She stood and continued before the queen could interrupt, "I know that you having to shut our bickering up makes it seem like none of us were acting the way I just described, but maybe we were all jealous. At least now you know that you will easily have any of us wrapped around your finger when the competition dwindles to the winner."

Regina pursed her lips in consideration, "Sit down, Princess."

"Yes, My Queen." Emma took her seat and stared at the floor as if she were just scolded, which, for all intents and purposes, she was.

Regina turned to her advisors, "Would you like to give any input, or is the decision my own?"

The six advisors looked at each other and turned back to her, all shrugging synchronized in their movement.

Grace raised her hand like she was in class and she knew the answer more than anyone else.

Regina smiled at the young girl, "Yes, Miss Grace?"

Grace moved to the edge of the table and tapped Chip on the head. The good prince looked up to see her silently asking him to put her on the floor. He stood and let her jump into his arms before turning and putting her down. Grace then toddled over to the queen and looked up at her and waited for Regina to either pick her up or kneel down to her. The queen decided to pick the toddler up.

"Is you gonna eliminate da last guy?" she whispered so no one else could hear her.

Regina touched her nose, answering the affirmative.

"Good." She whispered again, "He licked you. Dat's icky."

Regina could only grin and nod, "It is icky, isn't it?" Grace nodded her answer.

"All right. I have come to a conclusion." She announced, still holding the child. She looked to the knight she just danced with, "Sir Gustave. Thank you for coming."

"What?!" King Henry stood up, angry.

"King Henry…" Regina started.

"He did nothing wrong!" The King of France was about to throw a tantrum.

"My ear begs to differ!" Regina snapped back at the King, showing him how childish he was being. When he didn't try to cut her off again, she spoke at a normal volume, "And so does my neck." She gave the King a look before turning to the knight, "You are a good man, but not that good." She gave him a winning smile, "Like the others, you are more than welcome to stay."

Sir Gustave looked over to his King and Queen, "I'm not sure at the moment, your majesty." Regina nodded before snapping her fingers, magicking tables and chairs, "Let us eat lunch, and let me rest before we reconvene." She smiled that same winning smile to everyone as they moved about to the different tables.

**AN: Quiz Question that means nothing! Why is Artie so good at dancing?**

**Please Read and Review!**

**I promise to the many I'm sure are wondering, Maleficent will be back next chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: There were many different answers given for the quiz question last chapter. A few of you did get it right! A few of you entertained me to no end. The answer is because Justin Timberlake voices Artie. And that dude can dance like nobody's business, and because I love him—not so much his music as his acting ability, but I still love him. Hard. He is one of the few men I would go straight for. That's besides the point.**

**Hope you all enjoy!**

Emma watched Dunstan throughout lunch. She saw his worried face and knit her brows.

"You alright?" She asked after finishing her meal.

He stood, waiting for her and excused them both from the table. They went into the hall and he paced before he turned back to the blonde, "I don't know any of the forbidden dances."

Emma's face was filled with surprise, "What? Really? How?" She tried not to laugh at how utterly terrified the prince was.

He gave her a look as if she were stupid, "They're _forbidden_."

"And you never snuck away from your castle to have fun and let loose?" She covered her mouth in swift realization, "Oh my gods… You do everything you're supposed to do, don't you?"

"Yes!"

Emma bit her lip, "How about this… I will go ask the Queen if—"

"No!"

"No?"

"You will not ask the queen to change the competition for me."

"I was thinking more ask her to make sure you get a certain dance? If we could be assigned them now so we can really 'wow' her…"

"No." The prince shook his head, resolute.

Emma looked off to the side a moment, trying to figure this out. "How the hell are you going to make it through this round?"

"Teach me."

"Teach you?" The princess gave him an incredulous look. "Teach you all five dances in the next like… half hour?"

"I'm a fast learner." He nodded.

"Oh jeez… I don't know how to teach." She looked around, "I need some reinforcements… Hold on." She walked back into the ballroom for a minute and back out with Artie.

"You need to learn how to dance?" He asked with a grin, ready to help.

Just after they were able to get started, Chip walked out obviously in search of the three of them, "What's this? A secret meeting?"

Emma was playing the girl in the jive and was rocking back before she let Dunstan turn her, "We're teaching Dunstan how to dance the forbidden dances."

Alexander and Sir Patrick walked out, chummy as they would allow themselves to be, "You don't know the forbidden dances? And people call me a goody two-shoes." Alexander said to the hallway, making them all laugh.

Emma rolled her eyes with her laugh, "You _are_ a goody two-shoes, Alexander." She gave him a pointed look as she rocked side to side slow, then back and forward quickly.

Alexander lifted his hands, "Alright Princess, my apologies. I should know you care about the abilities of another person when you are willingly dancing as the girl you should always be dancing."

"Go suck an egg." Emma said without missing a beat.

"Okay, you got that pretty good. Let's move onto the Lindy Hop." Artie happily interrupted with a clap of his hands. "It's my favorite. No jitterbug is my favorite… no, Lindy. No this is… No—"

"Okay, Lord of the Dance; just teach him any of them besides the Jive." Emma gave the youngest prince a sarcastic, dramatic roll of her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips to catch her breath.

"Lord of the Dance, that's very clever, Love." Arely walked out to see almost all of the other contestants both eliminated and competing, "What is going on out here?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Regina looked around the room as everyone was finishing up. She was feeling rested enough to dance five more dances to find that the only competitor in the room was the one that was just eliminated. She stood and clapped her hands, clearing the tables for her servants.

"Just where are the competitors?" She asked.

"They've been in the hall a while…" Bae looked up to his adoptive sister and nodded to the door all of them left from.

Regina walked over to the door and touched it, silently turning it invisible.

"You have to grind her! Like this!" Artie took Emma's hand and turned her into him; they showed Dunstan just what Artie meant when he had said, 'the Lambada is literally making love' and 'it's very sensual and intimate'. Coincidentally, they also showed him how to grind on another human being.

Regina took this moment to get over her initial jealousy and to cough alerting her presence.

Emma and Artie stopped mid grind and looked to the queen with wide-eyes. The other princes and knight did their best to hide their amused smiles over the entire situation.

"Hello, contestants." Emma couldn't tell what was going on through Regina's mind after she spoke. That scared her.

"Hello, my Queen." And "Hello, your majesty." Were the collective greetings from the contenders.

"Shall we get started with the competition?" She looked to Artie and Emma then down to their hips that seemed glued together. "Though maybe a separate competition has started out here…" This was when they sprung apart. Regina turned, touching the doors making them visible once more and walked back to the center of the room.

Arely looked to Emma and Artie, "I think she thinks you two've found love."

"I think you need to shut the hell up." Emma glared to the Caspian Prince before following the train of contestants walking back into the ballroom.

Regina inhaled through her nose as the remaining contestants lined up on the five chairs and Arely and Patrick moved to sit in their respective seats.

"This round is going to go a little different. Grace is napping, so I will be choosing the competitor and the dance." She paused a moment, "Prince Dunstan. Jive." She snapped her fingers in a no-nonsense tone, changing them into different clothes. He was put in a tight white shirt and black pants and she put herself in a poodle skirt—one of the many fashionable rages rolling through all the underground clubs in all the lands; they looked good when a girl was spun about and they were affordable—at least that's what the public said.

The dance was fine, but Dunstan didn't flip her or throw any tricks. That was a little lackluster for her, especially after his Paso Doble that mid-morning.

The Queen snapped her fingers again, changing the color of her poodle skirt and changing Artie's clothes to look like one of the workers in the local diners.

"Prince Artie. The Lindy Hop."

"Oh, my favorite." He cringed as he realized his cousins were behind him, "I mean…" He shrugged when he remembered his cousins didn't care about what was forbidden or not, "My favorite." He said again.

Regina smirked as the music started. The dance was filled with everything an ideal Lindy Hop held, plenty of swing outs and a couple of fun lifts for Regina. She almost forgot that Artie was grinding on her girlfriend by the end of the lively dance. Almost.

The brunette moved the competition along swiftly. She snapped her fingers again, and again her poodle skirt once more changed colors. This time, Chip was changed to look like a common greaser. "Prince Chip? The Jitterbug."

Chip looked at the others as he stood up cautiously and moved to the center of the room with Regina. The queen then cued for music and he did his best to improvise and cartoonize their movements. Judging by the queen's smile on her face, he did well.

Regina touched his arm before he started making his way back to the seats, "I told you once, I'll say it again. You being you makes for a good leader. Your thing isn't that your shy… it's that your surprising." She raised and lowered her brows once for emphasis.

He smiled his thanks and walked back to his seat.

Alexander's outfit was the one to change next. He was in a dashing, fitted, pinstriped suit.

"Prince Alexander? The Charleston." Regina's voice filled his ears, causing him (and the other competitors) to look up to see Regina in a flapper dress.

Regina caught Emma's eyes for only a second, but she knew that she had the blonde's attention. She gave herself an inner hi-five and waited for Alexander to walk over so they could begin.

Their dance was lively as any Charleston should be. And they hit all the styles of a Charleston with a partner: facing each other, side-to-side and tandem. Alexander was a lovely dance partner. Regina just wished she could prolong it because the next and last dance was the Lambada with the White Princess.

She never would have let that happen if she hadn't been so jealous seeing the blonde and Artie dancing it together. She took a deep breath and she walked by to find Emma ripping her sash off, waiting for her wardrobe change. She still looked sexy in that suit, but Regina had something a little different in mind. She put Emma in black pants and a button up, tight, short-sleeved shirt. It was so tight that it could not be buttoned. No, instead the ends of the shirt were (and would magically stay) tucked in giving the White Princess the most plunging neckline the lands had ever seen. The blonde's hair was pulled back in a slick ponytail that bared a poof on the top of her head; Regina's on the other hand, was down. Her natural brunette locks hit just passed her shoulders. She wore a two-piece outfit: a bra top attached to a mesh skirt that was mainly there to merely cover her ass with one lucky strip of mesh fabric that connected the two pieces together. She could tell her lover would think the fabric lucky at least.

"Princess Emma?"

"Huh?" Emma grunted, causing the gay men and straight women in the room to laugh and all of the straight men and lesbian women to agree with her thought process.

"The Lambada." She said huskily.

At least Emma could have sworn that's how the Shadow Queen said it. Huskily.

By the end of the dance, most all of the royals were fanning themselves and many of the straight men, if not all except for the White King, were crossing their legs.

Charming and Snow sat there in awe. They'd never seen their daughter dance with heart before; the quickstep was enough, but watching her dance with the passion she had danced was magnetic. Neither said a thing as their daughter almost forgot to let go of the Queen's hand. And neither said a thing as she took the woman's hand again 'forgetting' to kiss it. They also didn't say a thing as they watched Regina watch their daughter walk back to the row.

"Gentlemen, and Gentlewoman." Regina quipped with a merry smile as she spoke solely to the contestants and not the other royals, "Dance is one of my favorite things. I'm so happy that all of you have been taught well… even though this round was a cheat seeing as they are the forbidden dances. I was expecting to have to eliminate someone for not flocking away from their castles to become immersed in the common world as many of us love to do in secret." She folded her fingers and let her tethered hands fall to her waist, "Apparently all of us love to do it in secret." She smirked. "But one of you did not outshine my expectations…" Everyone seemed to collectively hold their breath, "And now that I replay my words that was an unfortunate pun. Prince Dunstan, I'm sorry."

Dunstan stood and walked over to the queen, kissing her hand, "I was the one you would have eliminated anyways." He said seriously, "I didn't know any of these dances before lunch."

Regina's brows rose, "Well, my, my. You are a fast learner, aren't you?"

Dunstan smiled his princely smile before turning to his grandparents, "I'm sorry." He said regrettably.

Tristan and Yvaine both shook their heads, "For being good? For not learning the forbidden dances?" Yvaine asked and shook her head, "Nonsense, Dunstan."

"As you all know, you are more than welcome to stay." Regina interrupted.

"Of course we're staying. It's much too interesting now!" Tristan didn't fear showing his excitement over matters and this was no different.

Regina smiled at the trio before turning to the rest of the room. "We're done for the day. Feel free to roam about the castle grounds or the park, really anywhere. We shall reconvene in the morning."

"What is the challenge or the challenges?" Chip asked as he stood from his seat.

Regina smiled an almost wicked smile, "What is a Battle Royale without a battle."

The four remaining contestants looked at each other before Alexander spoke up, "Why do I get a bad feeling about this?"

"Because a battle could be anything…" Chip said.

"It could be everything." Artie added.

"It could be death." Emma's tone was dead serious. She looked to the others when no one responded and found three pairs of eyes on her, "What? It could. I'm sure she'd bring us back to life… She's a witch…" Emma shrugged.

"You think she'll let you use your powers?" Alexander asked.

Emma shook her head, "It's not fair."

"Because your powers can just outmatch any of us?" Artie asked like she was talking crazy.

Emma nodded as she took off her armband, before looking at him seriously, "Wanna find out?"

"No, I'm okay." Artie's voice cracked as he watched her tuck her armband into her pocket.

Emma smirked, "Good." She stretched and sighed dramatically, "I'm going to take a nap. You guys want to go exploring later?"

"Yes, after dinner?" Chip asked.

The rest agreed and Emma was poofing out of the room, still in her Lambada outfit.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Regina was quick to follow the blonde, and poofed out of the room as well. Emma was not in her assigned room, which meant she was in Regina's. She smirked, and kept that smirk on her face as she found the blonde resting on her bed. "Hello, my love." The brunette smirked as she crawled on top of the bed then on top of her. She laid down on top of the blonde with a grin and kissed her hard, "You taste different." She licked her lips in askance as she pulled back. Before she could ask why her lover tasted different, there was a loud thud against her closet door.

"What was that?" Regina turned and started getting off the bed. Emma grabbed her and pulled her back in by the neck, kissing her again. Before Regina could get too involved another thud, this time louder with a grunt was heard. "Darling, how did you not hear that?" Regina got up, this time not letting Emma pull her back down.

She walked over to the closet door. She had her hand on it hesitating and unsure before ultimately deciding that she needed to know what was on the other side of the door, good or bad. She opened it to find…

Emma bound and gagged spilling onto the floor.

"Emma?" She looked down then looked to the bed to find a wicked grin on her lover's face. But those eyes were already starting to fade to their rightful owner's, "Maleficent." She growled as she glared to the woman and fell to her knees, untying her real lover.

"Darling if that's the way you get greeted by the Shadow Queen all the time, I can see why you think you're missing out on nothing." Maleficent said as she let her face form back. She decided to keep the copy of Emma's clothes on though, "And if this is how you girls dress for each other…" the frizzy, blonde-haired woman stood and looked at herself in the mirror as she trailed off.

After finishing Emma's wrists, Regina took the gag from Emma's mouth and looked at her, "Why didn't you fight back?"

"I tried, but she magicked my sash on before she did anything else." Emma huffed before ripping the sash off her arm, magicking her feet free and looking at Maleficent like she was a matador that didn't stand a chance against her own inner bull.

As soon as Emma got close, Maleficent flicked her wrist, shielding herself, "Honestly, dear, you need to put her on a leash." She said to Regina, "In fact…" With another flick of her wrist, Emma was turned into a Rottweiler and was put on a leash that was held by Regina.

Emma looked up to Regina down to her paws, then back to Maleficent. She began growling and barking.

"Hm." Regina said, "It seems you might have created yourself a larger enemy than just the princess would have been." She let go of the leash and watched as Emma tried to pounce on Maleficent.

The blonde witch poofed out of dodge and Emma ended up jumping into Regina's bathroom. Then, with a twist of fingers, the dog was locked inside.

"What do you want?!" Regina asked exasperated as she tried to unlock the door and open it magically only to find Maleficent's own magic hold still on the lock. Emma was scratching and growling at the door from inside, literally trying to dig herself out.

"A lot of things." Maleficent looked at the ceiling with a dreamy look in her eye, "I want servants that aren't half pig and are fully desirable. I want to be able to leave my mountain whenever I damn well please and not whenever I am told. I want my love, the same as you."

Regina shook her head, "I can't get you any of those things. You know I can't."

"You can get me off the mountain."

"You're not on the mountain." Regina tried.

"You know just as well as I do that I am. I want to really leave. Really travel. Really feel." The blonde looked at her, "Get me off the mountain and I will tell you everything I know, not just what I was sent here to tell you."

The witches stared at each other a long while, Maleficent giving her multiple chances to say yes, but getting nothing.

And finally when Regina did speak, "Let Emma out of the bathroom." were her only words.

"Very well." Maleficent unlocked the door, but did not open it.

Regina shook her head and began making her way to the bathroom door.

"_She_ sent me here."

Maleficent's words made Regina stop in her tracks. She turned slowly, "What does she want?"

"She just wanted to tell you the usual: You're not running the kingdom like the Queen she raised you to be, but like the pathetic excuse for a King your father was; You shouldn't be uniting kingdoms to become larger lands, you should be taking them over; you're much too fair with your commoners and you tax much too little; your clothes are as horrendous as ever, 'You really mustn't stick with only black;' you're parading around giving damns where damns shouldn't be given…" She trailed off and looked at the Shadow Queen then to the door, "And she knows you're in love. And… as we all know, Regina: Love is Weakness." The hard, almost sad look in Maleficent's eyes gave Regina pause.

Emma barked loudly, begging to be let out of the bathroom. Regina turned, opened the door and turned back to see that Maleficent was gone. Emma barreled her way into the room and sniffed around before walking back over to Regina. Regina stared off into space and slid down the doorway.

Emma barked, but it didn't affect the brunette. She tried again to no avail. Finally she sniffed her face before licking it. This made the Queen put her hand up and pet her head before pulling the dog between her legs and hugging her. Emma licked under Regina's chin, hoping the woman would put together that she was still a dog. Finally Regina shook from her stupor and tapped Emma's wet nose, magicking her back to her human form.

She was still wearing the leash and quickly tugged it off before looking back to the woman that was holding her protectively.

"Who's 'she'?" Emma asked, not being able to stay quiet anymore.

"My mother."

**AN: Thoughts and feels? Read and Review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: I forgot to tell you guys in the last chapter, but if you're interested, I have a larger image of the cover image for this story as well as a map of the lands posted on tumblr. If you go to my tumblr (there is a link on my profile page) and go to the fanfiction link, you can see them there.**

**Hope you enjoy.**

"Your mother… is alive?"

Regina held Emma tight. She couldn't let the blonde go, "Yes."

"But I thought you said that you came to reign because your parents died?" Emma didn't struggle against the brunette; she was more than happy to let the woman hold her like she wanted. She could tell that Regina needed to do this right now.

"I said I came to reign because my father died. My mother long before… perished."

Emma stared up at her, "I don't know what that means…"

"Regina?" Bae strode into the bedchambers and quickly averted his eyes, pretending he saw nothing.

Regina didn't let go of Emma though, which is what he was waiting on. "What, Baelfire?"

He looked at Emma and saw how Regina was holding her before he looked to the queen, "Dinner is almost ready." He spoke.

"Of course." Regina stood and snapped her fingers, changing Emma back into the suit she put her in earlier and herself into a backless, flowing dress. She stood up and after helping the princess up, she kept her hand.

As the pair passed Baelfire, he coughed, "Regina?"

Regina turned to him exasperated, "What?"

He stared pointedly at laced fingers, "You can't do that." He finally said.

Regina nodded, "Of course." She stared at her adoptive brother, "Keep her close. At all times."

"Yes, my Queen." He nodded as the Shadow Queen poofed from the bedchamber. He turned to the White Princess, "What happened?"

Emma shook her head and shrugged, "I don't really know… That Maleficent bitch-witch came, turned me into a dog and locked me in the bathroom… but I did hear her say, '_She_ sent me here,' and then Regina just held on tight." She took a breath, "Said that 'she' was her mother…"

Bae looked down, "Come. We must go to the dining hall."

"This isn't good. _She_ isn't good, is she?"

Baelfire gave her a pointed look as he escorted her down the hall.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"GENIE!" Regina yelled in her office.

"My queen?" Genie looked lost as he poofed into the room.

"Show her to me." The Shadow Queen indicated the map turned mirror behind him.

"Are you—"

"Show her to me. I need to know where she is. What she's doing."

By the tone of voice, Genie knew something was wrong. He walked over to the mirror and touched it. He looked to his majesty, waiting for absolute certainty on this request.

"Show me my mother."

The Genie closed his eyes and summoned an image of Regina's mother.

Regina knit her brows as she watched Cora gaze at herself in her mirror. Then, it was as if she knew. She wasn't looking at herself anymore. She was looking straight to Regina. She blew her daughter a kiss, but both women knew she was giving her the kiss of death.

Regina turned from the mirror and the Genie was quick to make the image fade to nothing, "My Queen?"

Regina stood straight, holding her head high, "Let us go to dinner."

"Is it to do with the White Princess?"

"Yes."

"You know what that means. It's because she's a Pure One."

"I know. And you're not supposed to know that."

The Genie gave her a look telling her that he and all the advisors knew everything. He didn't comment on that though, instead he moved forward, "We've got to do something. We should find them."

"Yes, but we can't. We can only see into their castle, and not know where they are. How convenient their dark magic is to screw up your signals." The queen crossed her arms.

"So, what are we to do?"

"We're going to go to dinner." Regina gave the Genie a look before leaving. For some reason all she could think about was one night early in their relationship. It was such a simple night. She didn't know why it was suddenly at the forefront of her mind.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma watched the Shadow Queen mill about her bedroom as she sat on the windowsill.

"How long are you going to wait for me to turn around and see you?" Regina asked as she sat on her bed, facing away from the White Princess, as she settled to put lotion on her legs. She looked down at her floor and saw white and blue smoke forming. She smirked and looked up to find a cross-armed, stern-faced Emma.

"How did you know I was over there?"

"I've got magic of my own, you know?" Regina smirked when Emma stamped her foot. "I used a more powerful spell than you've been using whilst sneaking up on me to tell me when you're near." She gave the princess a winning smile.

"That's no fair." The younger woman huffed as she moved onto the bed and settled behind her.

"That's completely fair!" Regina turned to the blonde, waiting expectantly for a kiss.

Emma was all too happy to fill the silent request and pulled back with a smile, "I love you."

Regina smiled back, "So you say." She was still unsure what she was expecting from the other woman. She'd come into her life, pronounced her love after five seconds and now, three months later, here she was, here they were feeling so comfortable. She looked into those green orbs and leaned in once more.

"You're falling in love with me and my pureness." Emma grinned.

"It is not because of your 'pureness', because you are a Pure One… You know that, right?"

Emma gave the brunette a wide, cheeky grin, "You just admitted that you were falling for me."

Regina laughed and shook her head, "I did, didn't I?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

"For tonight's meal, I decided on a different seating arrangement." Regina said as everyone gathered in the dining hall.

"Because all the other meals have had the same one?" Shrek whispered to Artie and Fiona.

Emma heard as well and normally would have had the same snicker on her face as her father, but she knew Regina was changing the arrangements for her. She knew that that feeling of something bad a couple nights before was already rearing its ugly head.

Regina continued without comment to the ogre. "I've decided that it's high time I got to really start knowing the contenders for my hand, so the remaining four will be sitting with me and everyone else will sit with whomever they please." She smiled the most regal of smiles and waited for Artie, Alexander, Chip and Emma to make their way to her table.

Emma made sure to get to her first and sit at her side. Alexander found residence at her other side, Chip sat next to Emma and Artie between Chip and Alexander.

Regina looked to the young princes and princess and gave them all a graceful smile that almost made Emma think what happened before was all in her head. But as the Shadow Queen turned to glance only her way, she could see the utter terror hiding away.

Before Emma could try to do anything, Regina turned back to the other contenders, "So, did you all go exploring the lands?"

"We were going to go after dinner." Chip provided.

"Yes, see if there are any good underground clubs and all of that since it will be dark." Artie added with a wink and a chuckle.

Regina laughed along with them, "And who all is going?"

"I think all of eight of us…" Alexander said, "The eight that were officially competing for your hand that is."

Regina looked to Emma, "You as well?"

Emma nodded, "I originally agreed, but as the day has pressed on, I'm feeling awfully tired. And if we are due for battle tomorrow, I need all the rest I can get."

Alexander turned to the princess, "You aren't the type to rest before a fight…" He knit his brows, "Is the battle a free for all? Will she get to use her magic?"

"'Yes' to the first and 'no' to the second." Regina said simply.

Emma gave Alexander a look, "See, I told you. It'd be unfair." She smirked.

The dinner progressed with lively conversation and comebacks from the contenders. The four of them were so entertaining that Regina almost forgot about her mother and her avoiding that fact with thinking about that night with Emma three months into their relationship.

Almost.

~0~0~0~0~0~

She was thinking about that night because it was the night she admitted true, unbridled, ugly, open feelings for her. She admitted that she was falling in love with her. Revealing her feelings for the young, White Princess was the scariest thing she'd faced in her entire life.

It was the scariest thing in her life except for her mother. They were conflicting with each other because one led to good and the other perpetually led to bad.

"My Queen?" The Genie walked over in the middle of dessert.

"Yes, Genie?"

"I need to speak with you privately. It's a matter of some urgency…" He tried to sound calm and collected.

Regina stared at him a moment before turning to Alexander, "I trust you can take care of the group while I'm gone, Prince Alexander?"

"Gladly." Alexander said as he the other Princes and Princess stood as the Queen walked out of the dining hall.

"What is gods' names?" Alexander looked to Emma.

"She'd fear in her eyes." Chip stated for the group.

"I know." Emma looked at her dessert and poked at the chocolate frosting.

"Do you know what's wrong?" Artie asked.

All at the Queen's table were speaking in hushed tones, knowing that whatever had caused Regina to accidentally show her fear was much too great for the other royals to handle.

"Nay." The princess shook her head, "But I've never seen her look so disturbed—"

"Scared." Chip corrected gravely.

The blonde princess relented a half nod, "I've never seen that look in all of our time together."

"And how much time have you had?" Chip asked almost silently.

"I've been in love since I was 16, good Prince." Emma told him honestly, "Four years."

"Can I ask what I'm going to assume is an obvious question?" Artie looked at the three others, interrupting the broment between Emma and Chip.

"What, Artie?" Emma looked at him with a smile.

"Why are we here? I mean, why don't you two just… I don't know, elope some place that allows same-sex marriage and then that will be carried over the borderline and that will be that?"

Alexander shook his head, "That's not how it works, not for royals. Not for us. _We_ have a special set of rules to follow. We can't marry the same gender unless the land we reign and the land the partner lives or reigns are both for same sex marriage."

Artie looked down at the table, "Oh." He filled the silence for no other reason but to fill the silence.

"This competition is a loophole." Emma added softly.

Chip took over for the princess, "There are no rules or laws against a Queen or King allowing the same gender in a competition for her hand. But the rules and laws surrounding the competitions state that the winner is to marry the Queen or King no matter surrounding circumstances."

"I guess I still have a _lot_ to learn about all this stuff…" Artie looked down.

"You're a child." Emma shrugged, "You've plenty of time."

"And you didn't grow up in your castle. You didn't grow up a prince. Other royals or court members or lords and ladies might expect more from you, but the commoners, the people that most of us actually see as human will hail you for coming from what they know." Chip added.

Alexander finished their point for them, "You'll be a good ruler because of that."

Emma's fist tightened, she'd begun thinking of the Shadow Queen again. But she refrained from slamming her fist against the table like she normally would have. She huffed a breath and made to stand.

"Where are you going?" Chip's calm voice stopped her movements.

"I'm going to talk with her."

"And tell her what? That everything will be okay? She's the Shadow Queen. She knows and has endured more pain than all of the other kings and queens combined. She's been cast down and labeled evil, when all of us can clearly see she's not. She's filled of fear, Princess. She's filled with fear; the toughest of all royals is fearful of something. Everything will clearly not be okay."

Everyone stared at the prince with wide eyes. They'd never heard him talk so much or so passionately about anything until this evening.

"No." Emma sunk back to her seat, "I guess not." Her voice was solemn.

"There must be something we can do…" Alexander sighed.

The blonde princess looked at all of them as epiphany struck, "There is." She stood, determination in her every movement. "Meet me in the library in an hour." She started to turn from them, but stopped, "And suit up."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Arely, Dunstan, Gustave, Patrick, Alexander, Artie, and Chip gathered in the library. Emma was nowhere to be found.

"What are we doing here?" Gustave asked.

"We are meeting the White Princess." Chip looked coldly to the other man.

"Why?"

Chip grit his teeth and didn't answer the knight.

"Did you not hear me, Prince?"

"I heard you. I just don't know what the answer is."

Arely stepped into the conversation, "Wait, wait, wait… We're meeting here all suited up, ready for some kind of battle—which, by the way happens to be your competition tomorrow—and we don't know why we're here?"

Alexander piped up, "We know it's to do with the Shadow Queen."

"The Queen? What's wrong?" Dunstan asked.

"She'd fear in her eyes." Chip repeated for the third or fourth time that night in a gruff voice.

"… And?" Gustave asked. When the rest of the men gave him annoyed looks, he continued, "I know I may seem bitter because I was booted from the competition, but I assure you, my query is genuine." He looked to Patrick, "Sir Patrick, you know of where I'm coming from… What King or Queen doesn't fear something for their kingdom?"

Patrick did know where Gustave was coming from. But before he could put in his two cents, Emma barged into the room, the large library doors echoing as she entered. On her belt two daggers, a tomahawk, a pickaxe, a slingshot and her sword were sheathed; and in her hands she carried a battle-axe.

"It's not just her kingdom she fears for." Her voice was hard.

All the men in the room stared at the small arsenal carried on her person.

"I seem to be a tad underprepared, love. I've only my sword…" Arely finally broke the stunned silence, "What exactly are we doing?"

"We're going to Maleficent."

"Gods! Are you insane?!" Alexander asked.

"She's evil in the purest form." Patrick added.

"Nay." Gustave looked to them both, "She's a lost soul in comparison to the two that taught her, her wicked ways."

"The two that taught her?" Artie asked.

"The Dark—" Gustave's voice broke. He knit his brows and tried to scream but no sound came out.

Emma walked over to him with a small glowing orb, "Don't say his name. Don't say _their_ names." Her tone even harder than when she first came into the library. She gave the knight his voice back, "None of you have to come. But I'm going to Maleficent and I'm getting answers. I don't have time to wait around for thoroughly thought out decisions. Either you're coming with me, or you're not." She looked to each of them.

"I'm with you." Chip walked from the cluster of princes and knights to stand at her side.

"Me too." Artie was quick to join.

"I've always done what I'm supposed to, and that lost me the competition. I'd say it's high time I use the adventurous heart my grandfather gave me and say 'yes' when the opportunity strikes for a change." Dunstan joined the three.

"Love, you had me following you when you walked in that door holding a battle-axe." Arely smirked, lightening the mood in the room only a bit as he joined.

"I am a knight first, a puppet for my king and queen second, and a lover—and as you've seen not a very good one despite my reputation—third. But always a knight. First and foremost a knight. A queen, a very good queen, is in trouble. I'm to go to battle." Gustave came forth.

"Gustave is right." He looked from Alexander to the rest, "I'm a knight." He looked to Alexander again, "Al?" He whispered.

Alexander looked to Emma, "You shouldn't go."

"Me?"

"If you go, and if something happens to you…" Alexander gave her a serious look, "She'll be heart broken. And there is nothing more terrifying than a woman with a broken heart."

Emma took a step towards Alexander, "Well…" She held out her hand, "We've to make sure nothing too bad happens to any of us then."

"And make it back to battle each other in the morning…" Artie piped up, "For half of us, that is."

Emma grinned at the youngest prince, "Precisely Artie, precisely." She took one of Alexander's hands then took one of Chip's hands, "Gather in a circle; we're about to go on a short, rough ride."

Once all the men gathered in a circle and joined hands, Emma poofed them out of the library.

Red and Belle rushed in a moment too late. "I thought you said they were in here?" Belle asked.

"They were." Ruby pointed to the center of the room. "It reeks of magic. The White Princess took them somewhere."

"The White Princess did what?" The White Queen asked as she and the Shadow Queen approached the library. "Emma told me that she and the remaining princes were going to stay up reading all night, that's why the Shadow Queen and myself came here…" Snow looked from Belle to Red, "Hello, Red." She reached out and took the brunette's hand.

"Hello, Snow." Red smiled and moved just the tiniest bit closer to the White Queen, squeezing the proffered hand.

Regina looked from the two holding hands to Belle then back to the other two women. She was about to comment on the thick tension when Belle made her move.

Queen Belle had had quite enough of the touching between Red and Snow. She took—more like ripped her wife's hand from the White Queen's, keeping it for herself, "Hello, Snow."

"Belle." Snow looked apologetic, but her tone didn't convey any form of remorse.

"So, where did they go?" Regina asked as a new tension settled between the three women before her.

Red looked anywhere but the Shadow Queen, "I'm not sure."

**AN: Thoughts and feels? Read and Review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: The wall scene; the getting into the tower? An adaptation of the one in "Angel" 4X10. It was just so ****_cool_****. **

**P.S. The first half of this is a flashback, the second is in real time (after you see the scene break (~0~0~) with five 0's, that's where it picks up).**

A seventeen-year-old Emma Louise Swan White refused to go for the umpteenth time that morning. It was a last ditch effort seeing that the stagecoach was before her and her parents, and she was in one of her best (and only) gowns, but it was worth a try. She simply made her way back into the castle.

"I don't think so, Little Princess…" Charming called after her, he and her mother not bothering to turn around.

She huffed out a sigh and walked back to stand next to them as everything was readied for the trip.

She'd avoided family outings and her parents taking her places like the plague. She was not going to get rooked into meeting potential suitors that would care for her, look good at her side, and not try to take _her_ crown from her. That just wasn't going to happen. She already found the love of her life. She found her nine months before on a park bench.

Her parents saw otherwise; then again, they didn't know about her love. So, she was being forced to go to an overnight stay at an earl's, Lady Lillian Bradley's home. She and her husband Timothy were allegedly two of the only supporters of the King and Queen that were willing to stand up to them. Their son, Corey was well bred to fit into a kingdom easily. He'd learned from his father how he would need to act when marrying into a title higher than your own; he was Emma's best suitor. At least he was from their lands.

And Emma was not getting out of meeting him—especially since ever since she walked back down to her parents, her mother had kept hold of her hand. She'd tried to con her way out nine ways to Sunday, but there was no winning with them this time. She was forced into a gown and now, she was being forced into their stagecoach.

"Go, young lady." Snow's stern mother tone came out and Emma knew there was no point in trying to flee.

…That was until eight hours into the trip they slowed to a stop.

"Why've we stopped?" Charming leapt from the cab of the stagecoach.

Emma smirked as she turned to look outside the window. All her 'unplanned' escape needed was a little magic. Good thing she had some and knew a silent spell to make a tree fall.

"It's but a fallen tree, Your Majesty." A knight said from outside.

Snow gave her daughter an accusing look, "What is that smirk about?"

"Nothing, mother."

"You know I hate it when you call me that…" Snow shook her head as her daughter's smile only got wider.

"May I step outside for some air? This cab is quite stuffy."

"All right. But don't wander off." Snow followed her daughter from the stagecoach and walked over to survey the tree with her husband. "How could this happen? There've been no storms for days. This looks as though it just fell today."

"Never mind all that; we need to move it either way." Charming looked to all the knights now surrounding the tree, "Well men, can we do it?"

Emma subtly grabbed her belt with her pickaxe, knives, slingshot and sword and quietly crossed the street. She rolled her eyes of the easiness that was coming with her escape as she waited to make sure that no eyes were on her before stepping off the road into the forest. She moved swiftly and quietly. She knew she could have just poofed, but that made the escape far less fun. As she moved out of earshot, her feet picked up speed and she ran in a dead sprint before stopping in a clearing she'd never seen before.

She dropped her belt, and looked over her torn and tattered gown. She quickly removed it only to reveal that she wore her favorite shirt pants and boots underneath. A relieved breath filled her lungs as she bent over and picked up her belt. After securing it around her waist, she unsheathed her sword her father gave her two years prior and kissed the handle—she considered the sword lucky. It always helped her out of things she didn't want to do or deal with.

"Nice try, little girl." Her mother's voice sounded from behind her.

It seemed luck was not on her side that day, though. She sheathed her sword once more

"Mom?" Emma turned, utterly surprised.

Snow had her arms crossed as she stared her daughter down, "Move." She pointed the general direction of their stagecoach.

"Mother, I'm not going."

"Yes, my darling daughter, apple of my eye, you are." Snow picked up the ruined gown and placed her hands on the blonde's shoulders.

"But—"

"No." Snow gave her a fake smile, "We've had many a long, tedious discussion. You are going. We will eat dinner, spend the night and leave in the morning. You can even find your own way home, if you would like."

Emma's face was one of shock at hearing her mother's words, "Really?"

"Yes. If you do what you're supposed to do." After a silent agreement was made, Snow once again pointed to the stagecoach, "March."

"How did you catch me up?" Emma asked.

"You got your skills somewhere, my dear." Snow smirked in satisfaction as she saw the pleased, proud look from her daughter. It seemed the only times she bonded with her was when she told stories of her adventurous youth.

Emma plopped down into her seat, belt and weapons still at home on her waist, and they started on their way once more, the tree no longer an issue. She crossed her arms and watched the scenery. Then, another plan of escape came to mind; getting to find her own way home wasn't worth sitting through two meals and spending the night with people she didn't want to me or even consider marrying.

She debated for another ten minutes before she knew she had to do it. She unlocked the coach door and jumped out, rolling a few feet. All of her movements were swift and stealthy; her parents weren't able to try to stop her before she was on the ground. The knight that was following them immediately stopped to help her. And the coach driver was quick to pull his reigns as well. She already heard her parents' collective fuming and quickly grabbed two rocks from the road and her slingshot. She moved to a good angle to see both horses' rear ends then fired.

After the coach took off, the knights all mumbled things they weren't allowed to mumble about the Princess's behavior as they too, took off after their king and queen. None of them stayed behind. She smiled and started whistling as she meandered off the road and into the woods.

After two hours or so of walking around, exploring this part of the land she didn't know she started hearing the sounds of water. She came to a clearing and found a river. She wasn't quite tired yet and as she followed the water's path, she saw a cliff was near and she was at the top. She walked along the river's side until the drop off and when she peered over she saw a freshwater spring. She climbed down and looked around. It was absolutely breathtaking, like most nature is.

She needed to take advantage. She quickly stripped and dove into the clear water. As she swam around, she saw that the waterfall hid a cave. She thought for maybe half a minute before she was putting on her clothes once more and swimming under the fall into the cave. The cave held high ground and she easily hoisted herself onto the land. She couldn't see though. So, with a flourish of her hand, she held a bright, white and blue fireball.

She looked at the walls and saw symbols; though they might have been an ancient language. She could never be sure. The cave seemed to wind on forever, but eventually she came to an end, a dead end. This was no ordinary cave. It seemed to be man-made. There weren't millions of pathways or forks in the road. It was one tunnel that wound this way and that. It was one tunnel with no other purpose but to get to the end. And she was there now. It almost seemed cozy, like a room. There was what looked to be a fire pit and rotten logs that would have acted like benches.

She threw her fireball to the pit and it immediately lit up the place entirely.

"Woah." She looked around, seeing the symbols everywhere. Then a shadow caught her eye and as her eyes roamed, she finally found the shadow's starting point.

"…Woah."

There slammed, purposefully stuck in the wall was an axe. A battle-axe. Its blade was black and faded into rich blue hues, cerulean and sky and cornflower. It was beautiful.

"So, instead of the sword in the stone—that doesn't seem to be moving any time soon, by the way—we have the axe in the stone wall." She looked it over a bit more, "I wonder how you got here, who put you here, how many have found you and tried to remove you."

It called for her. She wanted it. She needed it. She wasn't going to leave that cave without it.

She stalked over to the wall, grabbed the handle, "Come on Excalibur in axe form, I am your true owner. You don't have to wait like the sword does." She yanked it as hard as she could and it easily slid free, the momentum causing her to spin almost full circle before catching herself. "Damn. That was too easy."

She looked around. She waited. She listened. She knew when a challenge was too easy that something horrific was going to happen. She'd read enough novels to know that the cave was going to drop in on her, or it was going to try to prevent her from ever getting out, or someone or something was going to emerge from nowhere and chase her down until they either killed her or took the axe back. But nothing happened.

She looked down at the axe, "Are you even special?" She ran her finger along the blade and almost immediately yanked her hand back, "You are razor sharp." She sucked on her finger before blood could drip. Deciding she'd had an eventful day, she poofed out of the cave.

~0~0~0~

"Regina?" Emma asked as she materialized in the Shadow Queen's bedroom. "Regina?" She asked again after the woman didn't answer.

She looked outside to find the sun still up. She couldn't have been in the cave for as long as she thought. The sun would have fallen in the entire Enchanted Forest and the Shadow Lands long before that with the amount of time she'd thought she'd taken.

Her stomach grumbled in this moment and she somehow wished she could get Regina's attention. Or that Regina still had on her Emma-dar.

She laid on the bed and held the axe above her. It was a beautiful axe. The main blades were enough, but this thing had lower blades that looked like they shouldn't be messed with. Thinking she would be alone a while, she stood and started play fighting like she did with a wooden sword when she was a child.

"What are you doing?" Regina's voice filled the room.

Emma stopped and turned; her eyes wide before she gave the other woman a bright smile, "Look at my axe!"

"And who do I have to punish for giving you that?" The Shadow Queen sat on her bed, leaning on an arm watching her blonde lover grin and move her way.

"No one. I found it."

"You found it, like you stole it or won it based on a bet, found it, or found it in the middle of nowhere, found it?" Regina grinned in amusement.

"The middle of nowhere." Came Emma's flippant response. When she realized that Regina was waiting on more, she started in, "So, my parents were making me go meet a potential husband. I wasn't too keen on that, so I jumped out of the stagecoach and with my slingshot and a couple of rocks to the horses' behinds, I sent them on their way. Well, being all alone and the adventurous girl I am, I started exploring before I came to you since I'm going to have a night before my parents return to the castle and then I'll be in trouble and come see you some more nights anyways." She took a breath, "Well, I wasn't tired yet, but I was bored of the forest when I heard water, so I followed it, found a river that led to a drop off that led to a spring—I'm taking you there one day when we can be seen in public together, even though I don't think anyone would even know because there is no one around for miles, but… Anyways. There was a cave behind the waterfall, and I followed it and at the very end of the cave, which had a bunch of funky symbols or writings or something on the walls, I found my new weapon in the rock wall and I pulled it from its resting place and now its mine."

"You pulled it from a rock wall?"

"Yeah. You're thinking Excalibur that has yet to have a rightful owner? Me too." The blonde set the axe on the window seat and took off her belt, setting those weapons with their new brother on the window seat as well. She then plopped next to her lover.

Regina chuckled, "You tired after that story? It should have taken you a good half hour to tell me everything, but you, my love, managed it in two minutes."

Emma gave her a cocky grin, "Well, what can I say? I do what I can. And sometimes, I am that good."

"Or you're acting your age…" Regina shook her head.

Emma knew where she was going with that, "I'm not a child."

"You're not an adult."

"I'm of legal age to marry…" Emma pushed up and pressed their foreheads together, "You love that I'm immature. It keeps you youthful, which you really don't need help with."

"That was a good save, my love."

"You like how I slipped that in there?" Emma leaned in and kissed her before laying back down, "I'm hungry."

Regina smiled as she hugged her lover tight, "What do you want to eat?" She pet the blonde's hair.

"I don't care."

"All right. I will tell my advisors that I've a headache and want to eat alone in my bedchamber. I'll be back soon."

"I love you."

"Is that why you intentionally got in trouble?" Regina turned at the door.

"And why I jumped out of the carriage to get out of meeting what's his face."

Regina walked back over to the White Princess, "I love you, too." She took the blonde's face, leaned down and kissed her.

~0~0~0~

That night, Emma jerked wide-awake from her dream. She was in a cold sweat and she scanned the room twice before her eyes landed on the axe.

"Darling, what is it?" Regina sat up and touched her lover's clammy skin. "You're feverish." She said worried.

"I'm fine. Just…" She kept her eyes on the axe.

"Just?" Regina sat and turned on her lamp—a new product that boomed throughout households—and tried to sooth her princess by scratching her back in calming strokes.

"My dream…" Emma finally turned to the brunette, resting her head on Regina's shoulder.

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure. It was like a vision." She took a breath, "I saw the man that put the axe in the wall. He was a Pure One. The last living Pure One for the last three decades. We really were extinct until me." She looked up to Regina, "He put it there and it was meant to be found by me. It really is Excalibur in axe form, Excalibur for the Pure Ones. Just no one knows about it."

"Why do you get an axe for being a Pure One?" Regina asked.

"You can't just be impressed that I get a cool axe?" Emma deadpanned.

"Well, my thinking is, if you are a Pure One, which you are, and you have the power of a Pure One, which you do, why do you even _need_ the axe?"

Emma looked over to the axe once more, "Maybe there are things I can't do that it can."

~0~0~0~0~0~

The knights, princes and princess looked up as their forms materialized once again. They landed in the top half of the mountain, in the middle of an ominous path. The sky was dark and filled with shades of yellow-greens and purples. A dark, angry cloud seemed to take over the top of the mountain.

Artie didn't hide his fear, "So at the top of this mountain… Where the lightning and the storm and all the scary, gigantic crows are? That's where we're going?"

"Aye." Patrick nodded.

"Fun."

No ones' eyes could seem to break from the top of the mountain. It was steep, its wildlife was venomous and its nature thorny.

"Why didn't we just poof into the castle?"

"Because Maleficent would have known we were coming. She can feel when magic is present in her castle. This was the closest I could get us without her knowing."

"And how do you know that?" Gustave asked.

"I've done my research; and I've studied this witch. My father has helped fight against her. We've known the wickedness she bestows."

"One more time… Why are we fighting Maleficent?" Arely asked.

"Does it matter? You've already joined the fight." Chip looked at him before shaking his head.

"I guess not, but I'd still like to know what I'm fighting for."

"Peace." Emma looked to the prince.

"The Queen." Chip placed a hand on Emma's shoulder, "We're fighting for the Shadow Queen."

Arely looked from Chip to Emma to everyone else, then back to Emma before settling on Chip once more, "Then what are we waiting for?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

It took an hour to scale the mountain and get inside. They were doing well; they hadn't had to draw their swords once.

They were in a line as they crept down a hallway, Emma leading, when they heard a grunt and a snort. They turned to find four of Maleficent's goons.

"'Ello, gents." Arely, with his ever thickening pirate-like accent stepped from the line and gave the literally hog-headed goons a charming smile.

"'Lo…" One of them grunted, "You're not supposed to be here."

"Really? We're not? I thought the thing was today?" The Caspian Prince took a step toward them.

"Yeah, I'd have placed money on the thing being today…" Gustave broke from the royals to stroll around to the opposite side of the four goons.

"The thing is definitely today." Chip walked over to the growing group.

"Oh for the love…" Emma muttered as she stalked over to the four goons, grabbed one by the head and snapped his neck, killing him instantly. She looked to the other three goons, "Where is Maleficent?" When one of them started to squeal, she was quick with her battle-axe to cut off his head. She looked to the remaining two after the body fell, "Where is Maleficent?" She asked once more, placing the blade against the closer one's throat.

"She's in her tower!" He cringed thinking his life was over.

"How do we get there?" She pressed the blade further to his throat, the slightest amount of blood beginning to drip from the pressure on his neck.

"I'll never tell!" He made to spit, but Emma was faster.

She removed the blade and, with the momentum of turning to set the axe on the ground, she gave the goon a good roundhouse to the head. He would not be waking up anytime soon, if at all. She looked to the last one, "You want to live?" she asked.

"Please!" He fell to his knees pleading.

"How do we get to the tower?" She bent down, grabbing one of his tusks to make him look at her.

"Go through the library, take a right. You'll come to a dead end that's not supposed to be there. That's the entrance."

"Cute." Emma yanked on the tusk, turning him on his knees so that they were facing the same way. She placed her other hand on top of his head, "I'll give you one more chance to not lie to me. Are you going to tell me the truth or do I kill you now?"

"Okay! Okay!" He pointed the direction they had come from, "There's a wall in that hallway that looks like it's missing a door. It's not. That's the entrance to her tower."

"There…" Emma's voice was laced with a sweetness, "Was that so hard?"

The goon looked to the men terrified then tried to look at Emma, "You gonna let me go now?"

The sweetness was gone now, "What? So, you can call on all the other goons?" She snapped his neck. "Not likely." She let him fall to the ground before turning for her axe.

"Emma…" Artie looked on with wide eyes.

She looked to the young naïve prince and then to the others who shared the same, wide-eyed, open-mouthed look.

"What?"

Arely raised his brows, "Did anyone ever tell you that you're sexy when you're dangerous and rash?"

Emma huffed as she moved to stand in front of him. She traced his breastplate with her fingers, and gave him a coy look before grabbing the top of the metal plating and bringing him down to her level, "Anyone ever tell you to shut the hell up?" She pushed him away and started back around the corner, tucking her axe between her armor and her belt.

Chip smirked before turning to follow the princess.

"Why are you so smug?" Arely caught up to him.

"I just never thought I'd see the day that _that_ would happen… I thought you liked to manhandle the fairer sex, but I guess it turns out you like being manhandled _by_ the fairer sex."

"Oh, Chip," Arely placed an arm around the other man's neck, an understood, uncertain broship suddenly forming, "As long as one of us is handling _something_, I'm a happy bloke."

Chip pushed him away and gave him a glare, "You don't deserve the love of a woman."

"Yet, they keep flocking my way."

Chip rolled his eyes and kept walking.

Emma stopped suddenly causing the men that were keeping their distance for the time being to stop as well. She looked to the wall as if she were reading a passage on it. After scrolling from top to bottom, she narrowed her brows, licked her lips before biting the bottom one in contemplation.

"This has markings on it." She said quietly.

Dunstan slowly approached and looked at the wall, "Those are the ancient symbols of the evils." He cocked his head, "There's a lineage; each born from another. Christians speak of seven—the seven deadly sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride. But in actuality, there's a total of fifteen, eight of which stem from the first seven, but have taken on life of their own. Those being Murder, Hypocrisy, Thievery, Hoodwinking, Victimizing, Mendaciousness, Omitting, and Idolatry."

"What's the first evil?" Emma looked to Dunstan, not having time to marvel at his knowledge.

Dunstan looked at the wall and pointed, "That one, Lust."

Emma pushed the rock in only for a sharp blade to eject from the wall, piercing through her hand. She gasped then grunted, trying to swallow a scream. She inhaled and exhaled once, twice. Then with two staccato like breaths in, she pulled her hand from the wall.

"Gods be damned." She exhaled.

"But that makes no sense. That's the first one. That's Lust…" He pointed to the same rock, "And from Lust, from wanting something one can't or shouldn't have, stemmed everything else. The second is Gluttony, over-indulgence." he pointed to the different evils as he listed on, "That's the third being Greed; making the fourth Sloth, laziness; Wrath, or rage, for the fifth; Envy the sixth; Pride the seventh… Murder the eighth; Hypocrisy, ninth; Thievery for number ten; Hoodwinking, deception or trickery, is eleven; and Victimizing, rape or overpowering in any way is twelve… There's thirteen being Mendaciousness, or lying; fourteen being Omitting; and the final fifteenth evil is Idolatry." He looked angered, "Each of them is here. There is no other order!"

Emma having taken a strip of her shirt beneath her armor and wrapped it around her hand, clapped Dunstan's shoulder, "I don't doubt you." She said before looking to the others, "We've to push them all at once."

"And what happens when all of us suffer in both hands what you suffer in one?" Alexander asked like it a stupid suggestion.

"Then I magic us better and we quickly prepare to fight one of the most evil living beings. However, assuming that this is the right thing to do to get into the tower without her knowing we are here, and I have as much power and magic as I do, and am able to put her in a force field that will not let her or her magic out, so that she is so stunned that she'll have no choice but to tell me what I need to know to save the woman I love from what I can only presume is in fact the darkest, most evil living being, who, coincidentally, is also my future mother-in-law from hurting one hair on that priceless regal head of Regina's…" When she realized just how much she had given away—that they all already knew, she blinked twice before speaking deadpan, "No offense to those of you still in the competition, but let's face it, I'm going to win because I've her heart and she has mine."

"Right." Alexander didn't change his tone or face, but his mind was completely changed, "So, which two rocks do I need to push?" He moved to the wall.

The rest of the men followed suit each taking two. Emma placed her good hand on the same rock that ran her other hand through. "Ready?" She asked them all.

"Yes." Came the collective response.

"Push!"

Everyone pushed in the rocks at the same time.

**AN: Read and Review! Thoughts and feels?**


	12. Chapter 12

_Everyone pushed in the rocks at the same time._

Nothing happened for a moment. The rocks stayed the few inches in and everyone stood waiting.

"Did we do it wrong?" Artie asked.

Emma was furious. "Why didn't it work?" She looked at the wall mad as hellfire before punching. However, as she swung through, there was nothing to catch her punch. The wall was now merely a trick of the eye. And, she fell through it, onto the bottom stairs.

"Emma!" and "Princess!" Came from the men as they watched her disappear.

Chip, Arely and Artie all made to walk through the wall, but ended up walking into it.

"Dear gods…" Alexander breathed, "She's facing the witch alone."

Patrick saw the distraught look in Alexander's eyes, "Let us do it again. I shall use my boot to press this lower rock and we can get the others with our hands."

"Who's going to go in? It obviously only lets one in at a time." Arely asked.

"I'll go." Alexander said quickly, surprising everyone, including himself with his sudden bravery.

"No, you can't." Patrick shook his head, "I'm a knight. I'll go."

"Nay." Gustave stepped in, "You're a knight who's found love. I'm only a knight. You stay. I'll go."

"Emma hates you after that stunt you tried to pull with the queen." Dunstan said seriously, "She doesn't trust you. She needs someone she does trust. I'll go."

"Have you even spoken 9 words to her? Aside from asking her to teach you to dance this afternoon? She doesn't know you, how can you trust someone you don't know? She knows me. I'll go." Artie looked to the other prince with narrowed brows.

"And do what? You're a child. Can you even wield a sword? Have you even seen a battle? Let alone been in one?" Arely shook his head, "She needs a strong partner. I'll go."

"No." Chip looked to them all with a hard face and unreadable eyes. "I'm going. I have the most experience in battle—not as much as Gustave or Patrick, but the reasons they are not going are sound. She needs someone strong, someone she likes and trusts. That does narrow the field to you and I, Arely. Of course, I don't see why she trusts you." He looked down and back up, "But she does. However, I've the battle experience, and… I'm my mother's son."

"And what does that mean?" Arely asked.

Chip inhaled deeply and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He began growling, and his head jerked to one side before he looked to all of them once more, his eyes now a glowing yellow, fangs where canines used to be, "It means I'm part wolf." He shook his head clearing his features.

All of the men said nothing. They simply lined against the wall.

"So it's true about Queen Red?" Arely asked as he placed his hands against two rocks, "She's a werewolf?"

"Aye." Chip nodded.

"So, are you a werewolf?"

"I'm… a different type. My mother's the highly publicized type that comes the week of the full moon. She's found control of her wolf, and she has her wolf senses, swiftness and instincts when in battle, but she only has the strength and the ability to change during wolf's week." He paused a moment, "I… can wolf out whenever I please. My senses are higher, more acute than hers and my instincts quicker. I've my strength all the time. I'm a different breed. The only one of my kind that I've ever known or read about. Same goes for my other mother."

"The former librarian?" Dunstan asked.

"She was never a librarian." Chip chuckled. "She's always been a princess. But yes, that one. She got that rumor for a reason."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma turned back to the wall. She stood and pressed her hand against it. It was solid again. "Huh." She looked at the stairs that wound up a tower; there was no time to worry about the men and the fact that she was going to battle alone after all. "Maleficent." She whispered as she started ascending the staircase. There was a yellow-green orb of light that illuminated the stairs, and with a tilted head Emma climbed each step with a lazy, almost serene doe-eyed look as she became completely entranced.

But, when she got to the top of the stairs, the light faded. Emma shook from her daze. With a hardened brow, she kicked the door down. She threw her hands up, blue and white, pure magic pouring from them. "I've had enough of your games!" Emma boomed as she took a step into the room. Though, as she took in her surroundings, as she took in Maleficent's lifeless form on the bed, she knew something was off.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Chip looked to see that everyone was ready, "Ready?"

"Aye."

"Push."

They pushed and the same thing happened. Chip walked through the mirage. Arely was quick to follow, and he luckily made it through as well. When Artie pushed against the wall it had become solid once more.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma knit her brows and lowered her arms. She slowly padded to the bed and sat down. She picked up the witch's hand, but found it cold. She dropped it immediately. She took one of her daggers and placed it adjacent to the witch's nose and mouth. There was no breath. As a last ditch effort, she touched Maleficent's pulse point on her neck. A pulse was there, but it was weak.

"I didn't… I didn't want to do it, but they made me. They MADE me! I didn't want to do it. I didn't. I didn't want to do it. She was nice. She was good to me." A voice whispered behind Emma.

Emma, dagger still drawn turned ready for a fight. However, she saw a girl in a pink dress and long reddish-light-brown hair curled in a corner. Her face was hidden between the crooks of her arms, propped on her knees and she pulled crazily at her long locks, "I didn't want to do it. I tried to stop. I tried. I didn't… I didn't, I didn't—I DIDN'T!" She shouted, still hiding behind her tresses when Emma got too close.

The blonde took a step back, arms up in surrender, "Okay… How did you get in here?"

"This is my home." The girl looked up, her big, ice blue eyes twitching at the sight of the other woman.

"Oh my gods…" Emma knelt where she was, "Aurora? Briar Rose?" She tried to reach a gentle hand to the other woman, but she turned away, "This magically produced tower is your home?"

Aurora, hugging the wall, craned her neck back to look at Emma—more like to look in her general direction and twitch away from her sight, "Phyllipina loved me." Her eyes now closed as if she were experiencing a migraine and she started cackling, the look in her eye becoming one of pure evil. "You poor, simple girl! You've no idea who you're dealing with!" She lunged forward and scratched Emma's cheek. Emma was quick to move back and hold her dagger against the girl's neck in defense and warning. This was when the crazed princess closed her eyes and shook her head again, "NO!" the meek voice came back. She didn't look to Emma at all, "You need to leave. Now."

"Aurora… I don't understand."

"Yes, it's all a big misunderstanding. No one understands. What is understanding? How do we all understand?" She looked at Maleficent on the bed, "I didn't want to do it. I think I know I loved my Phyllipina."

"That's Maleficent… not… Phyllipina."

Aurora let her head loll back and forth a moment, taking in what Emma said, "Phyl wasn't bad. She was good. She saved me. She saved me. Saved me… I didn't want to kill her." She now looked directly into Emma's eyes, "You're so bright and white. You're what they're afraid of." She smiled.

"Aurora… What happened to you?"

The unstable princess smiled as she bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes, "Love." After another bite to her lip, she continued, "Love had, love fights, love make-ups, love-love, love had again, love lost. Love not lost; love taken! Love ripped from my chest!"

Emma knit her brows, "Did Maleficent take your heart?" her tone was low and soft, thinking she hit it right on the nose.

Aurora, eyes still closed shook her head with a chuckle, "No. I gave Phyllipina my heart."

Emma wasn't sure what to think now, "Aurora, you're not making sense."

"I'm afraid none of it does." The auburn haired princess looked to the ground. "There is no sense to be made because it's nonsensical. The whole of it all. It doesn't make sense. Sense is lost. I didn't mean to kill her. I didn't want to kill her." She paused a moment, "I couldn't fight it. I wished and wished for it to be me instead… They just laughed."

"Aurora…" Emma sat there not knowing what to say or do. Then she realized, "Who's 'they'?"

"Them." Aurora looked into the mirror a moment then clutched her chest. "The two of them." A single tear ran down her face.

Emma did her best to comfort from a distance, "Okay, Briar Rose, but who are they?"

Aurora's eyes lolled to the back of her head and she clutched her heart before anger and rage took over her face, "STOP TALKING!" Then the princess collapsed.

"Be you possessed?" Emma wondered allowed.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Why is it when you're anxious time stops?" Alexander asked as he paced the width of the hallway.

"Why is it when you're having fun and are happy, time flies?" Patrick countered, trying to distract his oh-so-secret—er, not-so-secret lover.

Alexander stopped and turned to him. He thought the question over before looking to the other three men, "Any of you have answers?"

"No." Artie shrugged before he stopped and turned his head slightly, angling his ear. "Do you guys hear something?"

Gustave and Patrick glanced to each other before they both drew their swords.

"They're coming." Gustave said.

"Who?" Dunstan asked, unsheathing his sword as well.

"The goons. They know that someone is in Maleficent's room." Gustave answered.

"How many goons does she have?" Artie followed everyone else's moves.

"No one knows. They seem to constantly reproduce." Patrick looked to the youngest prince, "We're just going to have to fight until Emma, Arely and Chip come back."

"Or until we die." Artie looked at him seriously.

"Yes, but Artie?" Alexander touched his shoulder, "You can't think like that. Half of fighting is a mental game. If you think you're going to lose, you're going to lose. You have to believe that you will win. That you will live."

Gustave nodded his head, "Well said, Prince. Where did you become so knowledgeable."

"I learned it from love." Alexander let a calming breath after he spoke; he felt his heart pounding as he chanced a glance to Patrick before looking down one end of the hallway to see the first fleet of goons rounding the corner.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Emma! Are you in there?! Is everything all right?!" Arely ran in the room to see Emma huddled over another woman. "What the hell?"

Chip strolled into the room a moment later looking to the body before Emma, "I knew I smelt a third party." He shook his head as if clearing something away.

"What happened to you?" Emma asked as she looked at the other prince.

"There was a light in the stairwell… I gazed at it a moment too long. It captured me."

"Yeah, he who has been in more battles and boasted of his strength looked into the pretty light." Arely clapped the man on the shoulder before looking over to the bed and stepping back as he was literally taken aback.

Emma nodded after following his line of sight, "Maleficent is half dead. I'm not sure how, but the Briar Rose did it." She moved to the side, revealing the Princess.

"They really know how to sleep up in the Morpheus Kingdom, don't they?" Arely said as he observed the girl.

"Arely." Chip scolded, sensing something sinister had developed.

"She's passed out." Emma gave the Caspian Prince a glare.

"Why? Did you give her a good punch or kick?" He joked on.

"Arely." Emma's nostrils flared, "You do not want to mess with me. Not now, not tonight. Not while I don't have answers."

"Yes, you made that abundantly clear with the goons."

Emma's fisted hand rose a bit before she threw what looked to be fairy dust on the prince and he vanished.

"Where did he go?!" Chip asked seriously.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Honestly, Love, do you really think a bit of fairy dust is… going to…" Arely's words slowed to a stop as he took in the fact that he was no longer on the Forbidden Mountain with Emma and the other lads. He looked around to find the Shadow Queen, Queens Red and Belle, Charming and Queen Snow, and the six advisors to the Shadow Queen. "Damn it." He muttered.

"Arely?" Red, sitting at a table by her lonesome looked to the young prince.

"'Ello." He smiled, "Well, it's late, I presume. I'm tired. I'll just go find my fathers and be off." He tried to get out of the library before questions could be asked.

"Prince Arely." Regina walked from one of the bookshelves with Queen Belle.

"Yes, your Majesty?"

"Where the hell have you been?"

"Here, there." He shrugged.

"Where is everyone else?"

"They're still there." He'd gotten in trouble and sassed off a lot in his life, but never had he felt as though his life were at risk. But when he watched the Shadow Queen regally walk down the few steps to the part of the room he was at, and stare him down as she did so, he thought he might just die right then and there.

"Prince Arely, I assure you that everyone in here is not going to accept that as an answer. So, I need you to please, tell me the explicit truth. Where is Emma?" She closed her eyes, scolding herself at her slip, "Where are the others?"

Arely saw the pain in her eyes, "I'm afraid that's the only thing I'll be able to tell you. So, I'm not going to answer… You might have a million other questions after that and I don't have those answers. So, can I just tell you that she poofed me back here because I egged her on, not because she needed to send someone back? Can I just tell you that she's fine? Because that way, I won't make you and the others here more worried than you need to be." He spoke softly, trying not to let everyone else hear. Though, he didn't take Chip's mother into account as he did this.

Red stood, "Arely, I think that was handled very well." She strutted over to the young prince, "In any other situation, I would commend you. You're obviously thinking of the Shadow Queen and that's good, but I swear to every god you know the name of and some that you don't that if you don't tell me where my son is, I will rip you to pieces and I won't need the help of a full moon."

Arely had been wrong before, it was in this moment that he thought he was going to die right then and there. "They're at the Forbidden Mountain!" He cried out and quickly shuffled away from the two queens.

"The Forbidden Mountain!?" Came the collective, horrified askance of most everyone else in the room.

"Yes." Arely nodded as he sat in a chair at one of the many studying tables.

"Why did they go there?!" Charming yelled at the boy as he started over to him.

Snow quickly intercepted him, "Charming! Don't frighten the boy."

Charming huffed and crossed his arms, staring Arely down.

"No, Charming, please! Frighten the boy. Intimidation obviously works." Red too, was in a huff.

"It seems that this may be the only thing we ever agree upon." He looked to Red.

Red now rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

Arely knit his brows at the interaction, but he too, said nothing. That was until Regina walked seemingly helplessly over to him. He then felt the presence of the six advisors that were not afraid to be the slightest bit intimidating for their worried, preoccupied Shadow Queen.

"Arely, do you know why?"

Arely swallowed, "Emma said it was for peace, but Chip said it was for you." He whispered. "And I think he said that because Emma couldn't."

Red turned with surprise at hearing her son's name and anguish over what the entire trip meant. She looked over to her wife, who at first tried to ignore the stare but could not hold out for long. Belle quickly descended the steps and took Red's hands, understanding that she had heard something about their boy.

"I think they're going to be fine." Arely said sincerely having seen the entire exchange, plus the anguish in the Queen's eyes. "Chip and I went into the tower after Emma. I'm not even sure of what I saw, so I'm not going to say anything on that except that Maleficent was defenseless. They just need to gather everyone and get back here."

Regina nodded and leaned in to hug the prince. This was when he was forced to see Queen Snow walk over to Queens Red and Belle, assumedly asking what Red had heard when Belle put herself between Red and the White Queen.

Regina let him go, "Excuse me." She quickly made her way to another bookshelf to get out of everyone's sight. Her tears were not lost on Arely before she left.

He looked to the advisors, "She shouldn't worry. Emma wouldn't have poofed me so flippantly if there were more obstacles or they weren't about to come back anyways."

Hook nodded as he sat down next to the boy, "She knows that. She's just… invested."

"For all of your and your families' safety while here for the competition." Graham sat across from them both, unconvincingly covering for the Queen and everyone involved.

Arely knew that he shouldn't point out that the eight of them going to the Forbidden Mountain was neither in the Shadow Lands or part of the competition. Instead, he observed Belle's standoffish behavior with her wife and the White Queen, "Did Queen Red and Queen Snow once have a relationship?" He nodded to the queens in question.

Graham chuckled, "In short, yes."

"And at length?" Arely asked.

"They seem to possess strong feelings for each other still." Bae leaned against the table after listening in.

"And it causes Charming to brood and glare and Belle to get in Snow's face then walk away from her wife." Hook said.

"That's why they aren't allowed to sit next to each other, or really go to the same event unless it's unavoidable." Graham added.

"I wouldn't be surprised if their kids don't know about them. Especially the White Princess. She'd have no reason to suspect that her mother and Queen Red were once romantic."

Arely raised his brows as he took in all the new information. Interesting.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma looked at the princess seeing her chest rise and fall. She looked behind her to the bed that Maleficent was on and sadly snapped her fingers, calling a pillow over to her. She ripped a thick strip of fabric and tied it over the princess's eyes, "Cover thy eyes, take thy sight, no more intruders, only see night." The strip lit up and brilliant blue before settling to its original. She took another strip and tied it over her mouth, "No more cries, do not rejoice; I heard your plea and take your voice." Again the strip of fabric lit up and faded.

Chip watched on with fascination and a million questions went through his mind, but let the White Princess concentrate.

Emma took another strip of fabric and tied it around Aurora's wrists. "Bracelets have strength, bracelets restrain, bracelets stop the evil contained." Once more the fabric lit up a brilliant blue and faded.

She stood and moved to the Prince of the Enchanted West, "Something is wrong with her. We need to find out what." She whispered.

"Of course." Chip nodded, ready to step into action, but stopped short, "Before we leave, might I ask a question?" His voice was just as soft.

"Of course, Chip."

"Your magic… It's not normal is it?"

Emma looked down, "It's not."

"It's blue and white. Not even the blue fairy's magic is that brilliant; hers looks dark in comparison."

"Hers is merely fairy dust."

"But it's magic."

"And not all magic is the same. Some is stronger than others, some is evil, some is good."

He stared at her a moment in an internal debate before he finally decided that this was his only chance to be frank with her, "My mother used to read me stories about beings, special beings, gifted beings. They were said to walk the world and blend in, but they were the most powerful beings in the world. They had magic and strength and abilities to do anything they pleased—take another form, become invisible, see through walls, even fly. And they had wit and charm to hide all of their ability and stick to the crowds and the shadows until they were needed. They were always needed. They were called Pure Ones."

Emma swallowed, "We need to get Maleficent and the Briar Rose out of here. I need to figure out what happened for sure to the princess and not just go on assumption…"

"I won't tell." Chip said sincerely, "In fact, I think I might be able to help you sometimes. If need be."

Emma looked at him to find he was telling what he believed to be the truth, "How?"

"I have power of my own…" He said vaguely.

"Oh? You a werewolf like your mother?" She crossed her arms and continued flippantly, "I know you have the nose because she told me but—GOOD GODS!" Emma grabbed Chip's wolfed-out face, "How are you staying both human and wolf?" She opened his eye socket wider staring at his yellow iris, before moving to his mouth, opening it and testing the sharpness of his fang.

"I just can." He pushed the blonde away from him. He shook his head returning to normal, "We'll talk later. We need to figure this out first." He pointed to the two other women in the room.

"My thoughts exactly. You get the other princess. I'll deal with her, just in case she wakes up."

"You think she will?" Chip asked, hoisting Aurora effortlessly into his arms.

Emma looked at the prince gravely, "Nay, but I'm not going to take chances." She placed her hand to Maleficent's pulse point one more time, "Her pulse is slow, but it's been steady." She said. She placed her hand over the other blonde's chest and let a little healing magic settle in, in hopes that Maleficent would stay alive enough for her to get answers. Then, she picked up the evil witch. "Let us go get the others."

They walked into the corridor and down the spiral staircase. Once the wall came into sight, Emma concentrated and it soon disappeared. They stepped into the hallway to find that it had turned into what seemed to be the hallway of terror.

Artie, Alexander, Patrick, Gustave and Dunstan were fighting goon after goon. It seemed the castle was on red alert.

"Emma!" Alexander saw them first and ran over to her. "All of them found us and just started attacking!" He cried.

Emma screamed loud, hoping that her cry would echo down the halls, "Freeze goons!" Every last goon was immediately covered in ice.

The men looked to the bundles in Emma's and Chip's arms.

"What in gods' names…?" Gustave said as he looked to the fallen evil witch in Emma's arms when he noticed the blood on the makeshift bandage on the princess's hand, "Here. You're bleeding still."

"You are too." She said, "I'm not letting anyone non-magical deal with her." Her tone too serious to argue with.

"Yes, your majesty." He nodded.

"We do need to get out of here before they thaw." The blonde took a breath, "Circle up. Let's go back to the Shadow lands."

**AN: This is my favorite chapter so far guys; that's why I was so quick to post this week, haha! I love writing crazy people. Did I do well? Other thoughts and feels? I wonder why Aurora thought the tower was her home…? What's going to come of all this? **

**Please Read and Review!**


	13. Chapter 13

They'd been in the library for a good three hours. Charming, Snow, Red, Belle and the advisors were the only ones in the large room with the Shadow Queen; they were the only ones that knew the eight contenders left at all.

The first hour had been filled with different tactics to find them and bring them home. The second hour was filled with the question, 'Why?', that had spilled to blame on each kingdom and anger from the parents in the room. The Shadow Queen had shut that argument down and silenced them all, thankfully without her magic. And the third hour brought only Arely back; that was too much to think about in and of itself.

After Regina excused herself from Arely and separated herself from everyone, she had to keep herself sectioned off. Had she not, she would have broken completely seeing the four distraught parents in the room.

She knew she couldn't go to the Forbidden Mountain. If she did, she wouldn't know what she was going to find. And based on Arely's assessment, he wouldn't be there if Emma needed him, which she knew to be true, and she wouldn't have sent him back if they weren't going to be much longer, which she knew to be true as well.

But one minute turned to two, which turned to ten, which turned to twenty. And the dull ache in her stomach told her something was amiss.

Charming had seen the Shadow Queen make her way to a darkened corner of the library, to do what, he wasn't sure. But he knew damn well that this was affecting the Shadow Queen as much, if not more than himself. He'd just built enough courage to walk over to the fiercest woman of good in all the lands and tell her not to worry when a puff of bright white and light blue smoke began filling the center of the library lobby, growing at an exponential rate. It filled the empty center of the lobby quickly and then just as it reached an alarming height, it began to fade.

The White Princess, the princes, the knights and their guests were revealed to the room. Regina stayed in the shadows of the bookcases. Her heart clutched as she saw battle wounds.

Arely, the advisors and the parents made their way over, immediately assessing wounds, questioning their bound captive and the barely alive witch.

Emma looked for Regina, but decided the Genie was a good second, "Sir Genie!" She shrugged her concerned mother away and walked over to him, Maleficent in still in her arms, "Maleficent is still alive. Her pulse is barely there, but I think she can be saved… And I'm not sure she should be handled by just anyone…" She spoke softly, making sure no one could hear them.

The Genie took in her words before nodding once to show his understanding. He offered his arms, relieving the Princess of the fallen evil witch and made to take her to a room to tend to her.

"And Genie?" She turned immediately finding her queen's hiding spot.

"Yes, Princess?" He looked back to her.

"I've reason to believe the Briar Rose hasn't a heart." She said as she kept a trained eye on the queen, but looked to the Genie enough to know that he heard her.

Charming and Snow quickly passed the Genie as soon as he and their daughter were done talking.

"Emma, are you alright?" Snow touched the scratch on her daughter's cheek.

Emma nodded, still looking at Regina, "I'm fine. I'm just… exhausted."

"The Forbidden Mountain?" Charming asked, stepping in front of Emma, effectively cutting off her view of the Shadow Queen. "What were you doing?"

"Something that had to be done." Emma tried to pull from them.

"No!" Charming growled, grabbing her arm and yanking her back before she could get too far, "You need to give us something! You need to give me something!" His eyes were pleading, begging Emma to see the hurt and worry.

Emma ripped her arm from her father's grasp, a hot-headed answer on her tongue, but then she looked to her daddy's eyes. "Daddy, I don't need to give you anything. And I won't." She paused and inhaled a breath, "Not because I can't. Just because there are some things that I'm not going to discuss with you, either of you right now." She swallowed and looked down, "Know that I'm not giving you things because I love you and I'm protecting you." She looked back up to her father's eyes that she knew she'd inherited. "I need to take care of my men."

She walked over to the seven contenders that had swiftly become lifelong friends and confidants, had they not been already, "Thank you." She spoke just above a whisper.

They all looked to each other and nodded together.

"Aurora?" Emma asked Chip as she looked around the library.

"Pinocchio and Jefferson took her off my hands."

Emma nodded before she inspected Chip, "You are fine, right? No battle wounds?"

"Fine." Chip nodded.

"I'm fine too. Seeing as you magicked me back when I could have been useful in the thick of it." Arely gave the White Princess enough sarcasm to tell her that he was mad for being sent away but apologizing for not containing himself before.

"Keep up with your mouth and I'll just leave you next time. You won't get to have any fun." Emma gave him a smile.

"And miss you killing goons with your bare, lovely hands?" He smiled, "Then I'll never speak again."

She shook her head before she moved on and looked to Alexander; he had a bruised face and a split lip. With her good hand, she touched his bruised cheek and a blue light penetrated his skin.

"That's cold and tingly." Alexander said as he looked at the White Princess.

"But it feels good, yes?"

"Yes." Alexander nodded. When Emma pulled away, he took her hand, "Thank you, Emma."

"It's the least I can do." She smiled back to him, "Do you have any more wounds?"

"None that I can't deal with."

Emma smiled at her friend before she moved on to Patrick, Gustave, Dunstan and Artie.

As she healed a scratch going up Artie's forearm, she looked into his eyes, saw his expression, she knit her brows, "Are you all right, Artie?"

"I'd never really been in a fight before tonight. I'd always outsmarted my opponents in some way… The goons… they're pigs."

"Literally."

Artie chuckled, "Literally. They don't care about anything."

"They're goons."

"And that makes it okay?"

"Yeah. It's not right. And it doesn't forgive them, but they're goons. They just do what they know. What is expected of them. They follow orders same as any knight, though they don't think for themselves or feel emotion like humans."

"I just… I think it's stupid to have rank. I think if knights are going into battle then they should all agree to it. They should volunteer and know all the facts as we, the leaders know them to be. The goons know nothing, they don't know that Maleficent is bad, they don't know that there are options." He sat there a moment, staring at the blue magic that was still healing the gash in his arm. "They really are knights. And I'll bet there are some leaders might say they're better than knights because they only follow orders and don't feel…" he shook his head.

"You should do something about it." Emma said. When all she got were questioning brows from Artie, she smiled, "When you come to reign in your lands. You should treat the line of defense as you see fit. Let them tell you what they believe are good ideas or bad, or what are fights worth fighting… I'm sure Shrek and Fiona run things a lot differently than was probably done in the past, but you should make more changes once you come to reign." She looked down and saw the wound was just about healed. "I mean, you'll be in power. Make it better for you, for your people in ways that you think are best. I think that's what our generation is for. Changing things."

Artie nodded feeling renewed and invigorated, "Are you okay?"

Emma slumped forward, "Just tired. That magic, the healing big wounds magic, it's physically taxing on me sometimes. Usually only affects me if I'm stressed…"

"And you have nothing to be stressed about." Artie gave her a teasing grin as he stood up, "Thank you."

"No." Emma shook her head, "Thank you."

When she was done, the only people in the library were her parents. She inhaled a deep breath, closing her eyes a moment, then followed them quietly after they gave her the 'we've debated over what you said and we need to talk' look.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Mom, Daddy, magic takes a lot out of me, especially the kind of magic that I used tonight. Can you just save your 'we're the parents, we own you, you will do as we say and tell us everything right now' yelling for another night? Say one when I've actually done something wrong? Something that worth giving me that speech over?"

"How do we know that's not now?" Snow asked, a calmness in her tone that everyone knew was fake and trying to cover the worried edge.

"Because you know me. I'm your little princess."

"Yes. And you are also the girl that jumps out of a moving carriage and stings horses' asses sending the coach for the hills before your parents even know what's happening." Charming gave his daughter a look.

"Daddy, that was getting out of something I didn't want to do. This was going into something I needed to do."

"Why?" He asked her, wishing his daughter was comfortable enough to just say it.

Instead, Emma sighed, hands on her hips and looked down in disappointment, "I'm tired and I have to go into battle tomorrow… with three really good men." She looked at them both. "Goodnight."

Snow placed a hand on Charming's shoulder, telling him that she was going to go get answers. He didn't have the strength to tell his wife to simmer after that night. He watched his wife walk their daughter to their second guest bedroom and waited until he heard the lock on the door before he went to the drink cart. He poured himself three fingers of scotch before moving to the couch and sitting.

He had never been so damn scared in his life. Ever since they got word of this damn competition, his daughter had been a new person. She had always been secretive growing up, and he'd always had his suspicions that she'd had magic. But he never thought she'd be a Pure One. He'd heard the legends, known the stories. He always thought them myths, but lo and behold, his daughter, _his_ daughter was one. She really was one too. She was everything he'd known a Pure One to be. She'd definitely proved herself that night at least.

He took a gulp.

And he'd never been more scared for anything than for his daughter in that night. He knew that this was going to be his life from now on. Worrying about his daughter. Though, he'd known that since she was a babe holding onto his finger. Now, his worry, his fear was something he'd have to face everyday. She was meant to protect, meant to fight fights others couldn't. Damn, she'd brought Maleficent back to the castle barely alive, though from the look on her face it wasn't her doing. Still, she was brave enough to face that witch.

He downed the rest.

Yes, he was going to worry the rest of his damn life.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Snow helped Emma take off her weapons and armor.

"Are you going to her quarters when I leave the room?" She asked her daughter as she let down her long blonde hair.

"I need to talk to her, yeah." Emma spoke softly.

Snow nodded placing comforting hands on her shoulders, "Very well, I'll not let your father wake you in the morning."

Emma turned to her mother, "Thank you."

Snow just saw the bandage on her hand, "Oh, Emma… What happened to your hand?"

"It's hard to explain, but the short version is: a wall had magical blades."

Snow knit her brows, "Do I want to know?"

Emma shook her head.

Snow took in her daughter, "You know that we just worry, right? And now, knowing that you have magic… It's that much scarier."

"I'm not trying to scare anyone."

"I know. But you do. We're your parents. It's our job to pry, need to know everything and worry about you."

Emma gave her mother a half smile.

"Alright. Go see her." Snow knew her daughter was barely holding on to the strength she had left and needed to use it to get to the woman that could heal her.

Emma gave her mother a half smile and poofed from her room.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Regina just filled her tub with hot water and certain healing agents that smelt of apples, vanilla and cinnamon when the light blue smoke filled the bathroom. Emma appeared; her hair messy and tangled, her eyes worn and exhausted, her cheeks red and angry and one bleeding, her clothes disheveled and ripped, and her hand still bleeding and possibly infected.

After assessing that nothing was broken and the only things that needed tending was her hand and cheek, Regina looked to her eyes and their stares locked. Emma was finally home, in her bathroom; and she could stop worrying. She took two cautionary steps, seeing if Emma was going to be able to hold her before she closed the distance and wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck. And then, she cried.

"Shhhhhh," Emma comforted, "I'm here." She whispered as she ran her good hand up and down Regina's silk robe and hugged her waist tight with the bad arm, not letting the blood touch the fabric. "I'm okay."

"I was so worried about you." Regina wasn't ready to pull from the blonde, instead, she clung tighter to her neck.

Emma chuckled tiredly, "I can tell." She nipped at the brunette's neck, silently telling her that she was about to drop because she was so exhausted.

The Shadow Queen finally pulled from the White Princess, and with a regal wipe to either eye and hands combing back her shoulder-length hair, she said five of Emma's favorite words, "Want to take a bath?"

Emma responded quickly, but moved slowly, sorely. She had trouble removing her shirt—which Regina was quick to help with, but her boots, socks, pants and undergarments seemed to slide from her slim form.

The blonde looked to the brunette, then the tub, telling her she wanted to be the one that laid against the other that night. Regina smiled and removed her robe, no argument, and got in the hot bathwater.

After sinking into the tub in front of Regina, Emma let the weight of what she'd done set in with a big, heavy sigh.

Regina kissed the blonde's unscratched cheek twice before Emma turned her head. Their lips met and it was like everything was okay even though they both knew it wasn't. When the kiss broke and Emma's drained form fell once more against the woman she loved, Regina reached for her bandaged hand and untied it. She gasped after seeing that something went through the hand instead of just slicing it. She held the hand in both of her palms and let healing magic pour through her.

Emma's tired half chuckle filled the quiet room, "It's cold and tingly." Her voice was barely above a whisper as she recited Alexander's words from earlier.

"It's healing." Regina kissed her cheek again.

After finishing with the White Princess's hand, the Shadow Queen touched her cheek, healing the scratch that Aurora gave her. She then turned to the side as much as she could tub permitting. She held the back of Emma's head and let the blonde mane mingle about the warm water. She magically applied shampoo and ran her fingers through the long locks to help wash it before doing the same with some conditioner. After making sure her princess was all clean, she let a wet thumb pad across her face.

Emma opened her eyes and immediately she found the brown orbs she'd fallen so deeply in love with, "We need to talk about it, don't we?"

Regina fought back the sudden tears pricking her eyes, "Yeah. But not right now. We can in the morning."

Emma pulled herself up from lying in the tub, "Thank you." She hugged her knees.

Regina touched the blonde's back with one hand and snapped her fingers with the other, instantly drying them both, draining the tub and transporting them to her bed. She curled behind her princess, holding onto her tight, "You're welcome, my love."

Emma gave a big yawn as she nestled into the comfort of the bed, "I love you." She sighed out as sleep took her over.

"And, I love you." Regina held the girl tight; no matter how she tried to relax in the night, the fear and worry wouldn't leave even though Emma was right there, safe in her bed.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma woke up the next morning cold and still tired. She sat up and looked around for Regina, "R'gina?" She called, her voice barely there after the few hours of rest she received.

Regina came in from her bathroom, "Yes, my love?"

"I'm cold." The princess lay back down and stared at the queen like it was her problem.

"And just what am I supposed to do about it?"

"Come warm me up." Emma gave her a dirty grin.

"If I do that…" Regina started, knowing Emma would know where she was taking her ultimatum, knowing Emma would know that they were going to have to talk about the night before.

Emma raised her arms for the brunette to join her on the bed. She cautiously walked over, thinking it might be a trap. Though once Emma had the brunette in her arms, she started talking. There was no trickery or playfulness, "I wanted to protect you. I wanted to get specifics on 'Her' plan…"

"So you transported the contenders to Maleficent's to get those answers?"

"Yeah." Emma shrugged, "I'd have gone alone, but they all decided that they wanted to come."

Regina took the blonde's face as she sat up, "You do understand how stupid that was?"

Emma sat up, matching the Shadow Queen, "You do understand that Maleficent was basically dead when I found her and who knows how the night went or if she got through it? And you know that a princess that I grew up with has gone insane and was the one to try and kill the witch?"

Regina nodded, "Maleficent is recovering; she was drained of her magic before the suffocation. Genie told me a few minutes ago."

"Drained? How can one be drained of magic?"

Regina shook her head, "I'd rather not go into details, but it's utterly painful. Completely brutal. Most do not survive."

Emma swallowed hard, "I never thought I'd feel sympathy for the woman that tried to rampage my kingdom on more than one occasion."

"She's not all bad." Regina smiled a half smile when she saw the blonde's reaction, "She's an evil witch, don't get me wrong, but she's not all bad. She didn't deserve what she went through…. No one does."

"How could Aurora do it?" Emma asked, "Physically? Like how was she able to pull it all off?"

"She wasn't." The tone of Regina's voice told Emma that her mother was behind the whole thing.

Emma lowered her voice, a sudden bout of paranoia sinking in, "I think she's possessed, Aurora. I think she's had her heart stolen."

"I wouldn't doubt it." Regina stared at her lover. "We've to continue with today as if nothing happened last night. Can you handle it?"

Emma nodded, "Yes." She stood and looked for her clothes.

"In the closet." Regina said knowingly as she made her way to the bathroom.

Emma followed the Shadow Queen after shrugging her shirt and pants on, keeping boots in her hand, "I love you." She looked at her through the mirror.

"I love you, too." Regina nodded, keeping her stare.

Emma walked forward, wrapped her arms around the brunette and dropped a kiss on her shoulder before trailing up her neck to her ear, "I really, really love you."

Regina smiled and leaned against her, reveling in the hug, "I really, really know." Before Emma could protest and pull from her with that, 'I'm about to throw a fit' face, she chuckled and squeezed her forearms before turning in the blonde's embrace. She then placed her hands on either side of Emma's face, "I really, really love you, too." She kissed her soundly, "Go change and prepare for battle… again."

Emma nodded, "I will." She stepped from her queen and gave her a smile before poofing back to her room.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma suited up for the second time in twenty-four hours. She carried the same weapons she'd done the night prior. She breezed through a breakfast buffet, wrapping her food in a napkin and went to the battle arena.

She looked around, taking every inch of the place in when she felt another presence behind her. She turned, "Chip." She smiled.

He gave his best grin in return, "I thought I was the only one that did this…"

"Did what?"

"Scoped the place out before battle."

Emma shrugged, "When it's convenient, why not?" She looked down, "I just didn't want to deal with everyone."

The werewolf nodded before sitting down with her in the middle of the arena, "Have you heard anything? About Maleficent? And the princess?"

"Maleficent made it through the night. And I'm not sure what they've done, if anything except maybe feed Aurora."

"Why did we go? Why did we bring them both back?"

Emma looked down, "Maleficent was here yesterday. She'd given warning to the Queen that 'she' sent her."

"She?"

"The Shadow Queen's mother."

Chip knit his brows, "I'd thought her mother dead. Isn't that why she came to reign? Because both parents died?"

"Apparently not." Emma looked at him, "Maleficent had answers. And I needed them. I needed…" She shook her blonde curls as she trailed off.

"You needed to protect the queen."

"I needed to protect the queen." She smiled as she looked up at him.

"But then we got there and she was almost dead, not by your hand, but the other princess. Who we're not even sure why she's there in the first place."

Emma nodded, "Exactly."

"She loves her." Chip said after a moment of silence.

Emma whipped her head to Chip, "Pardon?"

"Maleficent loved her. Aurora. That's why it was so easy for her to do it. To strip her of her magic. Maleficent let her do it."

"How could you possibly know that?"

Chip looked down, "I could smell it. They reeked of one another; they reeked of love. And my mother, Belle had read stories of magical beings getting stripped of their magic, and the smell and feeling it brought. The two of them might reek of love, but that room…" the prince shook his head, "No one deserves that pain. I didn't like that room at all."

The princess stared at the other man, "You could smell it? Sense it?"

Instead of answering, Chip looked up to see Artie making his way over, "Prince Artie." Chip smiled, "How goes it?"

"I'm not exactly sure…" Artie said as he sat down, chalice in hand along with a breakfast food he'd come adore called a 'donut'. "I've been hearing weird things."

"Weird things?" Emma asked.

"About last night. One of the women was Maleficent… the one you carried." He looked to Emma.

"Yes." Emma nodded.

"And the other was… Was she the Briar Rose?" He asked seriously.

"Yes." Chip said.

"We bound and kidnapped a princess?"

"She's not herself." Emma looked down, "She's… She's a loon."

"Are you saying that the Morpheus Princess is insane?" Artie asked.

"She's not all there." Emma shook her head, "I thought her possibly possessed, that's why I bound her. Had she only been a prisoner, I'd have done nothing, but… It wasn't right. The things she said." She bit her lip.

Artie opened his mouth to question but Chip stopped him, "Alexander is coming."

A moment later, Alexander appeared and made his way to the center with the other three.

"What are you three talking about?"

"Aurora." Emma looked to her childhood friend.

"Yes, why was she bound?"

"She's crazy." Artie provided as he took a large bite of his donut.

"Of course. Why else would we bind a Princess?" Alexander's nonchalant sarcasm told the group that he wasn't picking up what Artie was putting down.

"She is, Alexander." Emma looked to him, "I've never seen anyone act like that. She's lost her mind."

"Why was she even in the tower?" Chip asked. "I mean, I guess I know _why_, but why?"

"She told me it was her home." Emma looked to him sadly then shrugged, "I've no idea what's happened."

"What 'why' are you talking about? Why was there emphasis on your first 'why'?" Alexander asked Chip.

"It's love."

"Ah, yes." Alexander was ready to provide more sarcasm for the group, "It's so devastating when an innocent princess nicknamed the Briar Rose meets an evil witch, falls in love with her then gets driven insane and attempts to murder her…" He looked to Emma, "I'm assuming the last part, no one ever told me for certain."

Emma shook her head, regretting the amused smile that was gracing her face, "She did try to kill her. But she didn't want to." She sobered by the end of her first sentence.

Alexander looked down, "Evil magic?"

"The only thing it can be." Emma answered.

"Damn." Artie wrapped his arms around his knees, chalice still in hand.

They sat in the quiet for a while until Alexander decided to break it, "You are all good competition. Good fighters, dancers, contenders. I don't want to fight against you all. I'd much rather fight with you."

"Here, here." Artie raised his chalice.

"Here, here." Emma and Chip nodded, repeating the words of the youngest prince.

Alexander knit his brows, "Why have you a chalice?"

"I was thirsty…"

**AN: Hope you enjoyed! Thoughts and feels? Please Read and Review!**


	14. Chapter 14

"What would happen?" Artie looked at the other three.

"What would happen when?" Chip asked as he looked at the other prince.

"What would happen if we didn't fight?" The youngest royal prompted.

They looked to one another in thought. None of them knowing what to say. Emma had knit brows on her face, Artie questioning eyes, Alexander a quivering lip and Chip the same expression he always seemed to have when things became serious.

"They'd wait us out. None of us would leave until we fought." Alexander finally answered. "This land, the Queen's court? They're old, strict and don't take kindly to people not doing as they're instructed."

"Especially when it comes to a battle like this." Emma added. "You're kingdom is quasi-lucky, Artie. It's run by ogres, and that was the best thing that could have ever happened to it because it's been prosperous since Shrek and Fiona took on running your country. That's why this is hard for you to see, but Alexander is right. They will force us to fight."

"Would it really be so bad if we waited until then? Until they _made_ us. Would it really be so bad if we tried to refuse?" Artie asked, "I mean, I'm pretty new to all of this… Royalty stuff, but it seems that customs are old and dated because no one has tried to change them…"

"So, what? We just walk out and do nothing?"

"Yes. We can sit as we are now." Chip said with a hint of a grin.

"Have a conversation?" Emma couldn't help the growing smile on her face. She looked to Alexander then the other two and back to Alexander, "They're right… The least we can do is try…"

Alexander nodded, "If we're really going to do this, we probably shouldn't even have a conversation. If we do, and if we get in an argument or something that can be twisted to be perceived as an argument, they might take that before they make us fight."

All of them nodded in agreement before standing up, stretching limbs.

"So, we'll walk out after our name is called, make a big show of our weaponry and then when the battle bell sounds, we walk here and sit." Chip looked to his competitors.

"Aye." Came from the other three.

"We must go before someone else sees and gets suspicious."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma walked in the corridor that Maleficent and Aurora were put in. Aurora was being kept in the living room of the quarters and Maleficent was still too weak to move from the bed.

The Genie had taken the restraints and neutralized the magic Emma gave them; the free, roaming about, insane princess was the first thing she noticed when she walked into the room. She magicked the door locked and stared at the other princess, "Aurora?"

Aurora was pacing, pulling at her hair once more, "They're coming. They're so mad. So mad. So very mad. And that's why they come. Because of the madness. The anger. The anger brings them. None of us are safe. Not really. The safe goes away at one point. And it stays away."

"Aurora? Are you talking to me?"

Aurora stopped stalk still and slowly turned her head, snapping it into an intimidatingly scary tilt. The crazy in the princess's eyes didn't help the eerie feeling now coursing through Emma's spine. Finally the princess spoke, "They're coming for you!" Her tone was one of warning and pleading for Emma to hear, "They're coming for the pure, the righteous one. That's you and you alone. They'll kill anyone that stands in their way."

"Aurora, who is 'they'?"

"The dark ones. The dark one and his filthy harlot." As soon as the last word was out of her mouth, her body convulsed before her chest stuck out, her head lolled back, and she fell to her knees, "I'm sorry!" she screamed, "I'm sorry!" Finally the princess fell forward clutching her chest. She curled up and rolled slightly on her back. She looked up as tears ran down her eyes.

Emma was already at her side. She just didn't know what she could do. Once she could tell that the pain stopped, she dared to touch the other princess, picked her up and laid her on the couch, "You need to get some rest." She touched Aurora's forehead and let some calming magic flow through her.

Once the princess's eyes were closed, Emma moved to the bedroom. She found Maleficent sitting up, clutching the covers to her form.

"What did you do to her?" the witch's voice held panic and dare Emma think she heard worry?

"Nothing. She's crazy. She talked crazy… Then she felt pain. I only picked her off the floor and tried to sooth her after she calmed."

"You can't _sooth_ her. You can't help her."

"You don't know that."

"I do! I've tried everything!" Maleficent cried as best as the weak woman could. Nevertheless, she had Emma's attention, "Why do you think my magic was drained? I was getting close. I could have saved her."

"And why would you want…" Emma trailed off as she saw Maleficent try to peer through the crack of the door to the living room. She looked at the crack and back to the witch, "Phyllipina. You really are Phyllipina."

Maleficent's face stayed trained to the door, but her eyes moved to the blonde princess, "What did you just say?"

"Your name—Your real name is, Phyllipina?"

"How could you possibly know…?"

"You said you wanted your love. You said, 'I want my love' when you came here yesterday." Emma pointed to the door, "And she said that her love was ripped from her chest. That she loved Phyl and she didn't want to do it, but _they_ made her."

Maleficent looked out the window, "What of it?"

"Is she your love? The love you were talking about yesterday?"

"She is the love I talk about on any given day."

"Yet somehow you still found time to morph yourself to look like me and take kisses from my lover."

The witch didn't look to the princess. She wasn't going to justify the little fun she'd had in the last months. She wasn't going to apologize or tell her that if Aurora had been all there, she wouldn't have done it. She would have done it for the fun of it. She would have done it just to do it. Aurora knew where her heart truly belonged and that was all that mattered. And she didn't need to tell the White Princess any of that.

Maleficent looked to her bed sheet. "They took her from me, put a curse on her, a sleeping curse—the curse I was accused of because I'd have knowledge of it and threatened it upon her mother when I was a new witch." She looked to the ceiling as tears filled her eyes, "When I found her, I thought that that was it. That the torture was over. But it wasn't. They'd enacted the sleeping curse, sure, but what they also did was poison her heart. I had to take it out to save her. She knew why I did it. She was in so much pain. I pulled every string I had to make her heart better; it worked too."

She finally looked to Emma, "And just when we were finally going to be happy, they found us. They told me that the only magic I would perform was that of their bidding. My Briar Rose that I'd worked so hard to cure, watched as they took my heart. They'd made her keep her eyes open to watch the hatchet job they were performing. She begged for them to take hers instead. And they did. Not without cutting mine in half. They gave me the feelings that I had for her and the desperation to keep her safe and alive. They took enough to control us both." She took a breath, "That magic you pulled on me last night? That's what's keeping me alive, it's what's healing me. That small amount of magic you put into me is what is keeping my half a heart beating." She swallowed; she didn't have it in her to say the words, but as she stared at the White Princess, she knew the other blonde knew she was thankful.

To brush off the sentiment, Maleficent looked to the crack in the door, "How often does _she_ come through? How often does she hurt her?" the tears were back in her eyes and she looked down.

"The two encounters I've had, I'd say she did. But I wasn't here during the night, so I've no idea." She looked down, "Maleficent?" the witch looked up from her hands. Emma swallowed, "Aurora said they were the dark one and his harlot…"

The blonde witch shook her head angrily, "Oh, Briar Rose… She got her good for that, didn't she?"

"That's when the pain started, yes." Emma looked at her, "Is it really _The_ Dark One?"

"Yes."

"And Regina's mother?"

"Yes."

"Where are they?"

"On their way here, I'd imagine. You probably pissed them off, bringing me back to life and out of the tower; and blinding and muting Aurora."

Emma nodded once, "And you're not going to tell me how to stop them?"

"Emma dear, if there was a way to stop them, I would have before they took her heart. I would have before they poisoned her heart." She swallowed, "I'd have their heads mounted on my wall if I knew how to stop them."

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Princess, you look as if you've seen a ghost."

Emma looked up to find Baelfire, Pinocchio and Jefferson in the hallway she was stalking down. She sighed, "I guess in some ways, I have…"

"Pardon?" Baelfire asked.

Emma looked at him for only a second before she put her hand up, throwing him magically into the wall with more force than was necessary. She took the few steps over to him, "How do you stop your father?"

"What?!"

"Princess, I think you've gone mad. And that's not good when you hear it from me." Jefferson said as he tried to pull Emma's arm from the air. She threw him and Pinocchio down the hall. She liked them both and gave them a mattress to land on, but she got them away from her and Baelfire.

"Your father. The Dark One. How do you stop him?" She said once more. How she knew The Dark One was Baelfire's father was moot; everyone knew about them or even had an inkling could tell that Regina told her everything. Impatient, she magically squeezed his throat, making it a little harder for him to breathe, when he started kicking the air, she released his neck, but kept him pinned.

"You can't."

"Can you?"

"No. No one can stop him."

"There has to be a way."

"His dagger is the only thing. And he keeps it on his person at all times. He's disguised it so it doesn't even look like a dagger anymore."

"What does it look like?"

"A pendent, I think. Of a swan. He's said it's out of irony. Though no one understands it."

"Princess Emma Louise _Swan_ White, 'Charming' Princess of the White Kingdom." She said as she looked at the wall behind the advisor. She swallowed hard, "What about her? Is there a way to stop her?"

"I don't know." Emma squeezed his throat again, "Ahh! I think her heart. Her heart!"

"Princess!" Regina's voice boomed down the hallway as the five other advisors, the White King and Queen, and Princes Chip, Artie and Alexander made their way down the hall. "Release him at once!"

Emma glared to her ladylove before dropping her arm, effectively releasing Bae, letting him fall to the ground.

"What the hell is going on?" Charming walked over and grabbed his daughter by the scruff of her neck.

"A lot that you and everyone else can't comprehend!" She wiggled from him and pushed him away, keeping him at arms length, "I must get ready for the battle." She didn't look to the Shadow Queen before poofing from the hallway.

Regina was looking at her brother, making sure he was all right when she heard the princess's words. She looked up to see a blue and white puff of smoke fade to nothing. She looked to Bae, "What did she want?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Emma." Regina poofed into the princess's quarters to find her not there. "Emma." This time she tried the stables, thinking the blonde was with Ice. No dice. "Emma." She went to her own quarters but again found no one.

"My Queen?" The Genie had poofed into her living room, calling to her bedroom, hoping he wasn't interrupting anything.

"Yes, Genie?" Regina walked out of her bedroom, despondent as ever.

"The Battle is about to commence."

"Ah, yes. The battle in which the court gets to watch and determine who will stay and who will leave based on bravery and know-how." Regina shook her head. She spoke softly after closing the distance between her and the advisor, "Have they any idea?"

"No, my Queen." Genie smiled, "They are pompous and arrogant. They do not see what most assuredly everyone else sees."

Regina nodded, "You're sure?"

"I'm positive."

"Let us go then. Can't keep my people waiting."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma tied the sash on her arm while she listened to the murmuring crowd. Every so often she would hear her name, Chip's, Alexander's or Artie's. She was sure it was discussion on who would win the battle and why.

She almost felt sorry for the crowd. That they weren't going to get what they came for. She hoped they'd still walk away with smiles on their faces.

She heard the trumpets sound, announcing the court, and a moment later, she heard it once more—this time the beat was jolly—announcing the Shadow Queen, her advisors and the other royals. She heard the cheering crowd settle, no doubt Regina had a hand up asking them to calm.

"Afternoon my good people." Regina's voice took over the stadium. "I'm sure that you all are aware that Sir Gustave and Prince Dunstan were both unfortunately eliminated yesterday. That leaves this battle today between Prince Chip of Enchanted West, Prince Alexander of Enchanted East, Prince Artie of Far, Far Away and Princess Emma of Enchanted North." A rousing applause bellowed in the stadium and simmered once more, "I shall not take any more of your time than needed. Announcer? Please let the battle begin."

The announcer took his place and cleared his throat. "In corner number one, please welcome Prince Artie." The applause was insatiable.

"In corner number two, let's hear it for Prince Alexander." Again, there was an eruption.

"Corner number three. Princess Emma." Emma took a breath and walked out of the door as it lifted to release her. Seeing everyone cheering for her, seeing the crowd wanting her to win made her want to fight. Almost. But as she looked to the other two, she kept her wits. She raised her hand and smiled her winningly charming smile.

"And corner number four, Prince Chip!" Chip's applause was louder than anyone else's. He was the clear favorite—at least the favorite that more people weren't scared to cheer on.

"Let the battle..BEGIN!"

The four competitors looked to one another before smirking and strutting to the center of the stadium. The entire crowd waited with bated breath as they saw each player closing in on each other. When they each took a seat, the stadium was silent.

A voice in the crowd rang out, "What we waitin' on?!"

All four of them continued sitting.

"They're havin' a sit down. They're refusing to fight! Going against the court!" The excitement in this voice seemed to spur excitement in the rest of the crowd.

Lord Smith stood from his seat, "Your Majesty? What are you going to do about this?"

"Do about what?"

"Them! The competitors! If they don't fight, then there is no way to know their strengths."

"All due respect, Lord Smith, doesn't the fact that they are refusing to fight someone that's not an enemy show a rather large strength in each of them? And don't we already know their strengths? Haven't we already studied them?"

"Are you suggesting that we let them not fight?"

"I'm suggesting that we let them not fight against each other, yes. We should have put them against a dragon, hydra, monster—something magical and majestic—to show who would truly win."

"What a truly maaarvelous suggestion, dearie."

The voice was heard all around. Everyone felt as though it was coming from just behind them.

"Put them against a magical, majestic being and see who comes out alive? So that, what? You'll have a fighting chance when mommy and me come for a visit?"

Regina stood, anger, fear laced in her throat, "Show yourself, Rumplestilskin!"

"Very well."

A black cloud started appearing in the center of Artie, Emma, Chip and Alexander. They were quick to shuffle backward and after making it to their feet, take about twenty more steps back. This also led to a chaotic crowd trying to escape the confines of the arena, and mad, crazed crying of the court and royals. It also led to Regina's heart beating at an all too rapid pace.

Emma immediately ripped her armband off and threw a fireball at it, destroying the power it contained.

After the black cloud faded and revealed Cora and Rumplestilskin looking like the regal couple they weren't, arms around each other, Cora's hand to his chest, Cora turned to the blonde girl on the floor, seeing what she had destroyed. "Oh, my dear. It won't matter if you've magic or not. You'll not survive when we're done with you."

"It was you." Emma stared the brown eyes, so similar to her love's yet so completely different, so evil. She narrowed her own, "You were literally taking her over, talking to me."

"You want a reward for figuring that out?" Cora started making her way to the princess, "Very well." She formed a fireball in her hand, "Here it is."

Emma threw her arm out before the older witch could throw the fire, effectively throwing her across the stadium. Then signaled to Artie and Alexander to try to retreat and get the hell out of dodge before looking to Chip, telling him that she had no idea what she needed him to do, if anything, but if he wanted to help her then he was allowed.

Chip nodded and his irises were quick to turn yellow.

Rumple had watched as Cora was thrown into the wall. After watching his lover huff and slowly pick herself up, he smirked as he looked over to the White Princess, "Impressive, dearie. I don't know a lot of people that can do that."

Emma smirked as the older woman finally stood up, "Next time, don't make such a show. Just get on with it, you old hag."

Cora glared into her very soul. "Very well, Princess." She flashed back over to the blonde and grabbed her throat, "As you wish." She squeezed, trying to make the blonde pass out.

Emma though, drew her battle-axe and made as if she were giving the evil witch a hug, one of the blades ready to cut between two vertebrae. She inhaled as best she could, "You sure you want to still be here? One push or pull on my end and you're split in twain."

Cora was quick, but Emma was quicker. They separated, Cora still making it a show with a lively twirl to distract the blonde from the fact that she stole a dagger.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Genie!" Regina growled and turned her advisors and the chaotic royals. She waived a hand so that they would all calm a bit and not yell frantically. "Get all of them out of here. Get them to the safe room." She saw that she had all her advisors attention, "All of you." She stared pointedly to Graham, Hook and Bae, "_All_ of you will stay with them, protect them."

"Yes, your majesty."

Regina turned to see what was happening on the field before yelling again, "And get Grace!" She pointed to the Genie telling him just how important getting the toddler was.

"Yes, your majesty." He nodded before poofing himself and the royals out of the arena.

What Regina saw next had her frozen with fear.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Cora turned back to the princess and threw with an accuracy that would make Robin Hood cower in fear.

Emma didn't have time to move. She didn't need time to move, though. Just as the blade was going to connect with her eye, it stopped and made its way safely into her belt. Emma, despite the obvious intensity of the situation laughed, "You honestly take me for a novice? Of course I've charmed my weapons to know who I am, to never hurt me."

Rumple laughed, "Cora, dear, I think she might just put up a fight. So, let's give her one, hm?"

Rumple magically pulled Alexander and Artie to him, while Cora pulled Chip to her—or, she tried to pull him to her. Chip had wolfed out and was running her direction anyways, thinking he might just be able to take a bite out of the enemy. Cora put her hand up and froze the boy in place, "Well, my, my. What in the world have we here? A new species?"

Rumple had pulled Artie's and Alexander's hearts out before he looked over to what his lover was doing. "Darling, what did you find? Hm?" He danced a jaunt over to the woman and looked to the werewolf.

"Evolution." Cora raised a brow and looked to her lover. "What it must be like to control you?" She smirked before reaching her hand into Chip's chest and plucking his heart.

"You two." Cora pointed to Alexander and Artie, "Come here." They followed their orders, "Hurt her, beat her, I don't care, but bring her back here submissive and alive."

**AN: Read and Review, please! Thoughts and feels?**


	15. Chapter 15

All three princes were doing their best to disobey their orders.

Emma's attention though, was trained on Chip. He was trying to change back to his human form. He would succeed for a split second before wolfing out again.

Emma gave him a look, "It's okay, Chip. Don't fight it if it's hurting you as much as I think it is." She whispered, knowing he would hear it.

"Now this is what I call a Battle Royale." Rumple cackled as he wrapped his arm around Cora and watched the three princes that had grown closest to the princess try and try to turn away from her.

Regina now, leapt into action. She waved her hand, freezing the princes as they enclosed on the princess. She surveyed the scene before her for a moment before poofing down to face her mother and her mother's lover head on.

"Whatever it is you want, take it. Don't come into my kingdom, threatening me and 8 other kingdoms just because you think it will be fun. Take what it is you want and leave us all be!" Regina stared at her mother pleadingly, "Please!"

Emma meandered around the three frozen lads and made her way to stand next to her queen. She saw mother and daughter having a silent battle of their own and knew to keep her mouth shut.

"Very well, _your majesty_." Cora's lips formed a smirk.

In the time it took Regina to realize that Rumple had vanished a moment, he was already behind her. He was already behind Emma, who she knew was focused solely on her, and he was throwing magical cuffs on her wrists and making quick with a magical gag as well. He threw her weapons and belt on the ground, knowing they wouldn't need them.

"We'll be off now."

"NO!" Regina cried, "You can't take her!"

Rumple potato-sacked Emma and walked back to stand next to Cora. "Oh, but you'll find that we can. And we will. You told us to not threaten the kingdoms, take what we wanted and leave. That was the deal. And, while we didn't sign a document or shake, I gather it was an unwavering verbal agreement." Rumple glared to the Shadow Queen as he pointed at the discarded hearts and magically dropped them at Regina's feet.

"What we want is the White Princess." Cora played with a blonde curl of the princess's mane.

Emma jerked her head from the wicked witch and glared her down.

"My, my you are quite feisty. Just as everyone says." She reached out again and took the blonde's face in her hand, "We'll have such fun together, Emma."

Regina let her hand hover over Emma's axe, and like a magnet it came to her. She tried to act quickly and throw it at her mother, but she, Rumple and Emma flashed away with a puff of black smoke.

Regina fell to her knees.

She was unable to breathe or rationalize what just happened.

Baelfire and the Genie were the only two advisors to disobey her orders and return.

"What happened?" Bae asked after the Genie plucked the hearts from in front of Regina and moved to the frozen princes.

"They took her. They took her? Why would they take her? What had she done?"

"She made you happy." Bae was nothing if not honest, "And she's a Pure One. You know why they came for her… Her magic didn't stem from hatred, anger, despondency, arrogance, or anything the like. It was formed from the complete and utter passion of her parents. It was formed when she was formed. When the gods wanted her person and her power formed. The princess is a rare breed. So rare, her kind had been decidedly extinct by most of the scientists."

Regina only shook her head, "She's not an animal!" She snapped to Bae and spat his word choice back at him, "She's not a _breed_ of some species to be determined extinct by scientists. She's… She's Emma." The tears that formed in her eyes as she recalled their first night together when she said the same thing to the White Princess and she was quick to respond with the same answer she gave her brother. Her tears did not go unnoticed by any of the five men on the field.

"How do we get her back?" Chip asked rubbing his chest with his hand, his inner wolf gracing his face a moment as he adjusted from heartless to having a heart once more.

"Yeah, and how do we keep our hearts in our chests?" Artie added rubbing his own chest.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Cora, Rumple and Emma materialized back in their castle. No one knew for certain where that was because the two put a cloaking spell over it. Emma's axe made a new home in the thick, ominous wall behind them.

"Your daughter's gotten cheeky." Rumple said as he pushed Emma to the ground and stared at the axe.

"Indeed. She must get it from this one." Cora looked down the White Princess with a glare.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma was lying in bed on her back. The bed was comfy and the sheets were to die for. "Regina?" She called as she looked around the bedchamber.

"Yes, my love?" Regina came in from the bathroom. She was wearing white, the color of purity, but nothing about the woman's lingerie was pure. She smirked as she took in the blonde's reaction, "Like what you see?"

Emma's eyes roved over her love before landing on the brown orbs that captured her so, "Always."

"Can you believe we did it?" She walked over to the bed and sat down, "We've finally defeated my mother and her lover." She settled next to the blonde and cuddled close.

Emma smiled and ran her fingers over her love's back, seemingly content until she realized what Regina said. "No we didn't."

Pain.

Immediate pain.

Shocking pain.

It came suddenly and it came hard. Her body convulsed into rigor while her back was fully arched off the hard surface she'd been thrown on.

When her body finally relaxed, she opened her eyes after feeling restraints. She was in a dark room, but a bright light was trained on her face. She looked down to see leather shackles keeping her arms and legs and she felt something on her head. She was too weak to try magic, too weak to try anything. The last three days had been torturous and for the first time, Emma felt that there was a possibility she was going to lose.

"There she is." A voice broke into the silence. "That last one almost got you. But it always brings you back. It's an amazing thing, science." A blonde man in a white coat stepped into her vision, "With it, I can do more things than magic. I can bring people back from the dead. And… I can also kill 'em." He shrugged, then took a breath, "I've conceded that magic is a wonderful, useful thing. But, it is just not the same as science. Magic doesn't let you keep a clean head. And that… that is why your captors have hired me on. They know that I will see things within you that they can't. And you." He paused as he leaned in, "You are quite the.. specimen."

Emma swallowed, or she tried to swallow but her mouth was dry. She tried to lick her lips only to find them chapped. She squeezed her eyes shut before blinking them open to stare at the man, "Who are you?"

"They call me Frankenstein. _Doctor_… Frankenstein." He grinned.

"What are you doing to me?" She swallowed a dry lump in her throat.

"Me? I'm simply studying you. The magic within you. The powers you probably don't even know you have."

"Why?"

"So that they know exactly what they're getting when we drain you. And when I get your heart."

"My heart?"

"Yes. In my realm, in order to make one alive again, I've to have a magical heart from this realm. Each time I come here to help, I get a heart in payment. And yours… Yours is something that's only ever been talked about in _any_ realm. No one has been able to take the heart of a Pure One in documented history ever before. Until now. When I get your heart, I will make sure to give daily documentation as thorough as my notes are on you now." The doctor almost giggled as he moved from the light, "See… I've been shocking you with a steady current that should have killed any other human magical or no. But you… You don't die. You're still alive. It doesn't make sense! The only thing that it could mean is that you're not human, but that's not true. I've looked at your hair, your skin, your blood. You are quite human."

Emma could only stare at him with unmasked fear as she watched _Dr._ Frankenstein move about.

He gave her a happily frustrated smile, "Don't you see?!" He stared at her, "Don't you see how truly AMAZING this is?! Come on, Princess! You can't die!" He tilted his head and looked down, "That is until we drain you of all of your magic and take your heart. Then you'll totally be dead. At least you should be." A light flitted to his eyes, "Good God, how amazing it would be if you didn't after all that you'll have to endure? And still after the taking of your heart?" he turned and wrote something in a journal, "You are definitely quite a case study."

Emma's eyes fell shut a moment, a sudden tiredness surging through her, "I've not been tortured enough?"

"Oh, no." He turned back to her, all business, "They have just been testing your knowledge of magic at this point. And I've only been testing your power scientifically. We haven't even started the draining process."

Emma stared at him with rage in her eyes, "I've been beaten, magically stretched nine ways to Sunday, tortured, bound, starved, and what I can only surmise is repeatedly electrocuted and you are telling me that you've yet to get started?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Where is their castle located?!" Charming growled as he slapped the desk in Regina's study with boiling anger. "It's been three days and no action has been taken!"

The advisors that had gathered in the room started to move quickly to the White King to defend their queen, but Regina raised her hand, stopping them.

"I've no idea. I've never needed to know. And I always assumed it better that I didn't. There are times that I would think or act rash and want to take matters into my hands."

Snow stared at the Shadow Queen, "Are you saying that our daughter is not a good enough reason to act rashly for?" Her tone was low, threatening.

"No, your majesty. I'm saying that I need an idea of what I'm to be dealing with before I find them." Regina stood and started gliding to the doorway, "Before I murder them." Her tone was lower and more threatening than the White Queen would ever be able to produce.

Regina left the six advisors and the White King and Queen in the study.

The hatter turned to Pinocchio, "Is it me or was her choice to use 'murder' rather than 'kill' in that sentence just a little…"

"Dark? Menacing? Hostile? Alarming?" Pinocchio provided.

"All of the above?"

"Oh, definitely all of the above." Pinocchio looked to his good friend.

"I've never seen her like this." Graham looked to the others.

"She's on the warpath." Bae spoke up. "She doesn't see anything rationally right now. She sounds as though she's thinking things through, strategizing. She's not."

Charming looked to the six advisors, "Yes, well… She's in love."

All of the advisors and Snow looked to him with surprise in their eyes, "Charming?" Snow had no idea Charming knew of their daughter's and the Shadow Queen's secret love.

"What? Does everyone honestly believe me to be that incredibly dense? I know love when I see it."

"Of course, your majesty. We'd no idea anyone aside from us knew for sure." The Genie covered for the six men.

"I didn't know if you were aware of just how deeply they felt." Snow patted his chest.

"She snuck out at night, stayed out for entire weekends, she smelled flowers, read romance novels, refused to meet potential suitors. She was in love with her long before she entered this ungodly competition."

Snow kissed her husband's cheek, "Yes, I presume she was."

"And now those two have her and we know nothing."

~0~0~0~0~0~

When Emma woke again, she found herself shackled against a wall. The pain was still there and she could only see out of one eye. She could only imagine what she looked like. Probably as battered as she felt.

"For a Pure One, you don't put up much of a fight." Rumple said from a dark corner on the other side of dungeon.

"For the Dark One, your choice of torture is meek at best." Emma glowered as she found the outline of the man she was talking to.

He grinned crazily, "Nnn!" His voice was higher pitched as he made the amused noise. "Listen to all your talk." He sobered, "Tell me, if my methods are so meek, why are you still shackled?"

"I'm just biding my time." Emma's cocky, brave tone didn't falter.

"She's putting on a brave face, Rumple, dear." Cora said as she materialized in front of the White Princess.

"She doesn't want us to know that she fears us because she doesn't want Regina to know she fears us."

"I don't want Regina to have to worry." Emma swallowed, "What you might not realize is that with each passing second you spend with me. Each moment you do or don't do something, say or don't say something, I'm analyzing. Taking in your knowledge of me and my abilities, and taking in your own." She turned and glared to Rumple, "I'm letting you torture me. I can get out of this any time I damn well please." She smirked as the Dark One's eyes narrowed as he took in her words. "So… bring. it. on, Rumplestilskin."

Cora turned to her lover, "Rumple!" She flashed out of the room.

"Excuse me." Rumple bowed, flashing behind the woman.

Emma leaned against the wall with a huff. She closed her eyes and breathed, "Good gods, why did I say that?" She looked to the ceiling, hoping, praying that she would be able to survive this.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Where are they?" Regina's voice was eerily calm as she stood at the foot of the bed Maleficent was in.

"I haven't a clue." Maleficent said, her color was coming back to her and she'd changed into a red silk robe, she looked stronger, but she was terribly weak.

Regina flew forward, suddenly she was hovering over the blonde, a hand to her throat, "Oh, don't play innocent or coy with me! WHERE ARE THEY!?"

"Regina!" The frail woman choked, "I don't…know!"

Regina pushed the blonde into the bed, throwing her down as best she could. She stood up huffing, "I have to find them."

"You can't." Maleficent said softly. She coughed a couple times, trying to gain her breath again, "You can find _her_ though…"

Regina turned back to the magicless witch, "Of course…" The Shadow Queen knew Maleficent was right, but looked off in thought of just how she was going to find her love. She knew she had options, but only one was going to work and she needed to make sure that the path she chose was the right one.

"You need to be careful." Maleficent looked to the other woman, "You know that they have my magic as well. And they are probably draining her as we speak."

"A pure one can't be drained completely without being killed." Regina looked off in thought.

"You think that's going to stop them? You think they're only going to take a little?" Maleficent turned, "They took everything from me."

"Yes, I've heard. It's a wonder your half a heart is still beating." Regina said in a superior tone.

"I've your Princess to thank."

"I know." Regina swallowed, "Need I remind you that if they do drain her, you will more than likely die. Her magic is the only thing keeping you alive, so if anything happens to her, if she dies, then her magic inside you dies as well… Would it not?"

Maleficent nodded once and looked to the sheets as she sat up. She finally looked to Regina's eyes, "Well, as long as I'm alive, I guess we know she's all right."

"I guess we do."

~0~0~0~0~0~

When Emma woke up next—when she woke up to the point of remembering everything that had happened explicitly, she was no longer with Dr. Frankenstein, no longer with Rumple or Cora. She was no longer with anyone.

She was still shackled against the wall Rumple left her at, and the pain was ever prevalent. She could still only see out of one eye, but none of that seemed to matter. It didn't matter because she felt sun on her face. It was a simple thing, but it made her smile. It was the first time she'd felt the sun in a week and a half. She'd been cooped up and tied down in the darkest rooms she's ever seen. She felt frail. She'd never felt frail in her life.

But now she felt sun.

And when she realized that she hadn't moved in the last two days, she opened her eyes and saw a glowing, radiant, beautiful clone of her mother. Or, she supposed the original her mother was a clone of. It's true that the White women all bared striking resemblances of each other, with little tweaks here and there. And this woman was the spitting image of her mother, or again, she supposed, her mother was the spitting image of her.

She never got to meet her grandmother. But she'd heard stories of her kind, fair judgment when people deserved it and harsh punishments that people avoided. And she'd seen her face in plenty of pictures. She swallowed air as she watched the glowing, angelic figure take her beaten, bloody body in.

"Grandmother Eva?" She finally whispered.

"Hello, Emma." Eva smiled.

"Are you an angel?"

Eva chuckled, "Good gods, no. I'd never want to be one of those arrogant things."

Emma knit her brows, "Angels are arrogant?"

"Yes. They don't do good deeds because they want to, they do them because it's their job. They make a competition out of it sometimes." She rolled her eyes, "No, I… I keep to myself mostly. I watch over you all. I've ascended onto a higher plane, but I'm no angel."

"What are you?"

Eva looked up, "I don't know if there's a word for _what_ I am. At least no god has ever told me what I am. I guess I'm a spiritual being."

"Why are you here?"

Eva smiled at her granddaughter, "I'm here to help you."

**AN: Another "OH SHIT!" chapter in my opinion. Do you like the two new characters? I hope so. I've had a lot of fun with them both—mainly Eva in later chapters.**

**Please, Read and Review! Thoughts and feels?**

**Also, thank Draven260, blu3phyr3 and thewisdomtooth for convincing me to post twice in one day. I will be posting again tomorrow sometime (my tomorrow, which might be the same as yours or it might not…).**


	16. Chapter 16

Regina sat alone in her study. She stared over her courtyard as Grace played with classmates that always seemed to be running in Jefferson's halls. The toddler played like it was any other day. And it was to her. No one told her of the bad thing that happened. She shook her head, wishing she could be Grace for just an hour as she twiddled her thumbs and stewed over what she was going to do.

The court was already pressuring her to continue with the competition. Though at every suggestion, or the beginning of every suggestion, she would remind them that they were the ones that ran screaming with the crowd while she tried to defend her country from her mother and her lover. She would also remind them that Emma's kidnapping happened on their land during their competition. And every time that would come up, the court members would stick their tails between their legs and back off.

She took in a deep breath. Gods, what it would be like to be Grace, peaceful and happy and innocent for just an hour…

Three soft, staccato knocks came to her door, "Yes?" She didn't turn to see who was there.

"Your Majesty?" Charming asked as he shut the door behind himself.

This was when Regina turned in surprise, "King Charming…" She looked at her desk, "I know—"

"That's not—"

"I know how long it's been." She looked up to the White King, "I know it's been a week and some. Believe me. I know."

"And I know that you know how long it's been." Charming approached the desk and sat in one of the guest chairs on the other side, "I am not here to yell at you. I am not here to take any anger out on you, and I'm sorry I did so earlier."

Regina stared at the man before her. She watched tears form in his eyes.

"She's my little princess." He looked into Regina's innocent brown eyes and knew immediately why Emma loved her so. He rubbed his face, hoping the unshed tears would go away, "She wasn't supposed to happen. Snow… there was a time that she was told she'd never bare children. And then, Emma came to us." He took a moment to breathe, "She's my little princess and I've learned more about her in these last two weeks than I have in the last 6 years. I didn't know she could dance anything but the waltz, I certainly didn't know she could dance with such passion. I didn't know that she watched her mother and myself. I didn't know we were examples to her." He shook his head, "I honestly had no idea that she still looked up to me; I thought she thought of me as an ever-pending obstacle."

He looked up to the Shadow Queen, "And I certainly didn't know that she had magic." He scooted forward and offered his hands to the brunette before him. After she took them he continued, "I know that you are the reason she is so passionate, the reason she runs the other direction when her mother says 'potential suitor,' the reason behind her sneaking out at night and for entire weekends." He gave her a charming smile as he released Regina's hands and stood. "I'll do everything in my power to make sure that no one ever questions the authenticity of the Battle Royale, that it needn't be finished, if we can find her and bring my little princess home."

"You mean bring her back here?" Regina asked.

"That's what I said." Charming swallowed, "This is her home. You are." He turned to the doorway and took a few steps, "I assume she proposed before you both decided on this competition?" he turned back at the door.

Regina laughed through a sudden cry and nodded, covering her mouth as she pulled her emotions back in, "She proposed the night we met."

Charming chuckled, "When you know, you know." He looked down, "She give you a ring?"

"She did. Her grandmother's. The snowdrop diamond."

Charming nodded, "You know, I was once given a charm to find Snow. Granted it was my mother's ring, the one Snow wears on her wedding finger and it was the Dark One that did it because your mother and he were fighting. And he only decided to help to rile your mother up after she put Snow in a sleeping curse, but he charmed the thing and it glowed brighter when I got closer to her…" He took a breath, "Maybe Snow's mother's ring can be charmed to do the same?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Of course it was the damn ring.

Regina had sectioned herself off in her bedchamber for a few hours at the end of each day and had worked well into the nights. She had tried enchanting Emma's sword to no avail. It was her lucky sword, her favorite. The only one she ever used.

To enchant something in the way she needed, it needed to be personal, something with an emotional attachment to the owner.

Of course it was the damn ring.

_You finally realized it was the snowdrop and not the sword?_

The Shadow Queen missed her White Princess so much her conscious mind was beginning to argue her every move and thought like her lover, even sound like her lover.

_The ring is more important than the sword. The ring is more important than anything I own. The ring means that I get you in the end._

Regina looked up and around, "Emma?"

_I love you, Regina. I've loved you since I first saw you on that park bench._

"Emma?!" Regina closed her eyes, "Where are you?"

_Just know that I love you. I need you to know that I love you._

"I do." Regina's lip began quivering and tears fell freely. It was in this moment that she heard the pain behind Emma's words. Somehow, some way, she was channeling into Regina. And her princess thought she was going to die. She could hear it in her tone, hear it in the pain. She choked on a sob, refusing to let Emma go without her hearing it back, "I love you, too."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Regina gathered all of the royals and the favored knights in her study. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen."

"Evening." And other various greetings came from the royals.

"As you well know, the Battle Royale has been put on hold until we are able to get the White Princess back in play." She started, "I have a way to find her." She looked to the White King and Queen as she said her last words. "I'm not asking for you all to join in my crusade, I'm actually asking you not to, but I am giving you forewarning that I will be on my way to find her come morning." She took a breath, "You are more than welcome to stay here or go to your respective castles."

"I'm going with you, Regina. You can't stop that." Chip said angrily.

"Chip—" Red began to scold her son for not addressing the queen with respect.

"No! I'm going."

"Chip I need people that know what they're doing here." Regina tried. "Knowing my mother and the Dark one, they will, if they know we're coming the will send someone or something here, or they will come here the minute I leave and try to destroy my kingdom—"

"My mothers are well equipped to do pretty much anything they want."

"As are my fathers." Arely said.

"And my cousins." Artie added.

"And my grandparents." Dunstan's response came soon after.

"I know my parents have fought a battle or two… alongside some of the people in this room, I'd presume." Alexander stepped forward.

"My King and Queen can defend themselves and with their permission, I am joining you, your Majesty." Gustave crossed his arms.

"My King and Queen have also allowed me to fight at your side, your majesty. And I don't think that you can argue with all seven of us." Patrick gave her a smile.

"You have no choice. We're going with you." Alexander added.

"Well…" Regina swallowed, trying to gather her emotions, "We leave at dawn."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Regina, covered in black leather and magical, form-fitting armor, stared at Emma's belt on her bed. The daggers, sword, tomahawk and even her slingshot lay sheathed attached to the belt.

She looked up at the head of her bed, her head dipped low still.

"I'm not going to ask how you got out of your room, passed the Briar Rose, the guards and the probable 10 people you were sure to run into before getting in here." She turned her head to the frizzy blonde hair that caught her vision. "I'm just going to ask the only thing I seem to able to ask you lately: What do you want?"

Maleficent gave a cocky smile, "I have my ways… Aurora was asleep and the guards were changing posts. It was actually quite easy." She paused a moment before answering the woman's question. "I want to ask you not to die." She stepped into the room. "Because if you die, then we all lose."

"If I die, then it'll be because I had nothing to live for." Regina took a quick breath and glared to the other woman, "And you'll be dead at that point anyways, so what would it matter?" She inhaled sharply looked down apologetically, "I'm not going to die." She whispered. After a moment of silence, she turned back to the bed.

"Regina!" Maleficent called after her in a panicked tone. It was as if she hadn't said what she wanted originally.

Regina turned her head to the side as she walked, "I'll try to find it before it's too late." She turned back to the blonde as she ran her hand over Emma's sword on the bed and prowled to the tiny box on the nightstand. She looked back over to the blonde once she opened the box and stated what she meant explicitly, "I promise. I'll try to find her heart before it's too late. The rest of yours too."

Maleficent nodded, thankful, regretful tears in her eyes, "Thank you." She mouthed.

Regina nodded, "Go back to bed. You shouldn't be up, wandering around my castle like you own it."

Maleficent gave the other woman a cheeky half smile and turned to leave the queen's quarters, "I'll wander anywhere I damn well please. I have a reputation to protect. Just because I'm human and utterly defenseless and frail, doesn't mean you can stop me."

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger…"

The frizzy, blonde turned at the door, "Ain't that the truth?" She said before ducking out.

Regina let her eyes travel down to the tiny box in her hand, the snowdrop diamond ring inside, "I'm coming for you, my love." She set the ring box down as she took the ends of the belt and wrapped the weaponry around her waist. Once finished with the belt, she turned to the ring box to find the ring hovering a few feet above it, waiting to be placed on her finger. She put her left hand out and let the ring do what it wanted; it found purchase on her ring finger, seemingly knowing that's where it belonged.

She moved to the entrance of her quarters and with a deep breath, she walked out.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Your Majesty, you can't go!"

"Think about what you're doing!"

"Why are you doing this!?"

"If something happens…!"

"ENOUGH!" Regina yelled at her court members.

When they caught wind that she was planning to track the White Princess down, they called an emergent meeting to tell her she couldn't.

"I can go, and I am going." She took a calming breath, "And, something will definitely happen." She paused for dramatic effect, "I'm going to destroy the dark one and my mother." She gave them all a cocky grin, "And then I'm going to bring the White Princess back and we shall marry."

"But you can't do that!" Lord Big Shnoz cried.

"Oh, but you'll find that I can, Lord Smith." She pointed at him, a zipper formed on his mouth and zipped tight, "Anyone else want to tell me I can't marry for love?" Her tone was threatening and a menacing, angry darkness seemed to be looming around the court.

"We can't allow you to magic your way to getting what you think you deserve." The oldest member of the court, Lord Richard Van Dyke said. He was kooky and odd, but when he spoke everyone listened; he never said much, he always blended and let the other members do what they would. It was known that when he spoke, it was important. "And though you may actually deserve love," He gave his queen a look, "The competition must go on. When the White Princess returns and if she wins… then we can discuss changing laws, but until then, we respect the laws of our elders because they are the laws that work."

Regina blinked, a single tear making its way down her cheek. "Yes, Lord Van Dyke." She licked the front of her teeth before looking down a moment, gathering herself. She snapped her fingers, releasing Lord Big Shnoz from his zipper hold. "I must go for I am the only one that can find her. And I am not going to let the dark one and my _mother_ destroy the life of yet another person."

"Who will reign while you're gone?"

Regina smirked, "Grace."

"…Grace?"

"Grace, Jefferson's little Grace?"

"The one and the same." Regina magically produced a signed scroll to the effect, "I'm afraid you can't argue this one, it's signed."

Lord Van Dyke couldn't help but chuckle, "It seems you've bested us, My Queen."

"I always do." Regina swallowed hard as she stared the white haired and mustached man down with all the respect and dignity she could muster.

"Yes." He nodded, not about to argue that fact, for it was the gods' honest truth.

Regina nodded once with him and turned, "Once the competitors, and the White King and Queen are ready, and the royal guard and royals of the other nations, all of which have volunteered to stay here and help Grace with her duties—" She gave the court a pointed look, "we're leaving." She stepped off her platform in her courtroom and walked out.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Graham." Regina stared at his old huntsman clothes—the clothes he's always been most comfortable in, "You clean up nice."

"You know you're not going without me." Graham gave his queen a serious look.

Regina gave him a nod put a hand on his face, "I know I can't tell you not to go with me. And I knew you were going to say that very line, so yes. I know I'm not going without you."

"And if you think he's going it alone, you'd be wrong, my queen." Captain Hook stepped up in his usual dashing garb. "None of us could let him go it alone." He gestured behind him to the hatter, Pinocchio, the Genie and Bae.

"Jefferson." Regina's tone was scolding, "You need to stay with Grace."

"Grace is in good hands." The hatter gestured to the many royals that were seeing off their young princes and best knights.

"Grace needs her father."

"Yes, and you might need to send the dark one and your mother somewhere else." He tapped his hat, "You can't get my hat without getting me."

"It's true. I've tried." Pinocchio interrupted.

"When have you tried?"

The two men had a staring contest. "I try things." Pinocchio finally said.

"Not by yourself. You always make me or Hook, or Graham come along with you!"

"I do not!"

"'Oh, come on, Jefferson, the wilderness is good for you!' You only feel that way because you were once a tree!"

"How dare you!" Pinocchio pointed to his best friend.

Jefferson was just getting started though, "Oh, Hook! Have you ever heard of a burlesque show?"

"Pinocchio!" Regina looked from Jefferson to Pinocchio in scolding. "A Burlesque show…?" Pinocchio simply ducked his head ashamed that Regina found out—not ashamed that he went.

"Oh, Graham, you wanna go get a beer?" Jefferson continued on.

Pinocchio crossed his arms, "What is weird about that?"

"Nothing!" Jefferson said, "You just didn't ask me, your best friend."

Regina rolled her eyes at the last statement, "If I let you two come, you need to contain yourselves." She crossed her arms, showing her seriousness.

"Yes, your majesty."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma looked up to her grandmother, "Do you really think she's coming after me?"

"Did you tell her to use my ring?"

"…Yeah…"

Eva smiled, causing Emma to smile in relief, "Then she's on her way."

"How do you know?"

Eva pressed the flat of her hand against Emma's heart, "Because you do."

Emma's smile sobered, "Are you all in my head? Have I invented you to keep from going insane?" She paused in thought, "I guess that doesn't make sense…"

"No, inventing conversations with a very dead person to prevent insanity does not make sense." Eva looked to her granddaughter, "I assure you, Emma, I am very real. I know because I can tap into each of my loved ones and my families' loved ones feelings, their true feelings. Their feelings even when they don't know their feelings."

"Can you ever tell me what I'm feeling when I can't classify it?"

"No, dear. That would be cheating." The spiritual being chuckled.

Emma cracked a smile as best as her beaten face could at her grandmother's laughter, then looked down. And after a moment, "If I'm so powerful, how come I can't get out of these shackles?"

"You can."

"I can't. I've tried every spell and magic I can think of, I've tried prying them off with my hands, I've even tried biting the chains… nothing's worked."

"Something will. You just have to think. Think about everything that you came here with."

"I came here with nothing."

"You came here with something. Unintentional it may have been and though it is not here with you, it still came with you."

"Is this some riddle about my inner self?" Emma, despite her desperate situation, deadpanned.

Eva laughed, "No, Princess. It's a riddle about what came here with you. Think."

Emma tried. She tried to think hard.

She came up with nothing.

Eva was walking around looking at the other seats and shackles in the room. She fingered a pair while she spoke next, "Your Regina is an awfully _cheeky_ little thing, isn't she?" She looked back to her granddaughter, hand moving from the shackles to clasp her other.

Emma looked up in recognition, "My axe."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma had been trying to summon her axe for the last hour or so. Nothing was working. She huffed a great sigh, "Why my axe? Why is it so important?"

"You know why." Eva gave her granddaughter a look.

"Because it's cool looking? Blue?" Emma gave her grandmother a cheeky, questioning grin despite her pain.

"Emma, dear. Be serious." Eva couldn't hide the amusement in her voice.

"I am serious. It's blue." Emma felt the silent scold at her sassy sarcasm, and looked down in thought. "Honestly, Grandmother, I don't know. I found it in an old, abandoned cave when I was seventeen. My father had given me my sword two years prior and I wasn't afraid of anything I might encounter. And it was just… there. It was embedded in the wall like it was Excalibur." She looked down, "I thought it awesome. I couldn't leave without it… So, I didn't. I walked over to the wall and plucked it from its home. And when nothing happened after a safe period of time for something disastrous to have happened, like it always does in any good narrative, I left."

"I know. I watched you, my dear. I watched the many different scenarios play out in your head before you decided it safe to head forth." Eva sat in front of her granddaughter, "So, tell me about what you dreamed that night even in the safeness of Regina's arms?"

"What I dreamed that night?"

"Yes, that night that you went not to your parents, to your castle, but to your home, to Regina with your axe. Tell me what happened in that dream."

Emma stared at her grandmother, "It's real?"

Eva bit her lip as she watched realization dawn on the blonde, youngest version of herself.

The White Princess looked to her grandmother, finally answering the woman, "The last of the Pure Ones before myself embedded it magically into the wall and the one that can take it is the strongest and most pure of heart in all the lands? It's really Excalibur for the Pure Ones?"

"Yes." Eva nodded.

Emma gave her grandmother a determined look, "I'm the strongest in all the lands." She grit her teeth, stretched her arm closest to the door as much as she could and reached out, a new wave of resilience coursing through her.

They heard muffled, scared, surprised cries in the castle vents, but it was no time before the axe burst through the door and made its way to the chains that held the White Princess down. As soon as the axe made contact with the shackles, the magic within them that had held her in was dead, and the metal of the shackles shattered as if it were glass.

"Now what?" Eva asked.

"Now, I kill the dark one and his poor excuse for a mistress." Emma gave her grandmother a sincerely, malevolently, stunning smile.

**AN: Welp, there's today's chapter. Have yet to decide if I'm going to post tomorrow…**

**Tell me what you liked, didn't like? Don't you want to take Charming home with you, put him in your pocket?**

**Thoughts and feels? Please Read and Review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: To those who've been asking for more Red Snow… this chapter is just for you.**

"We're going to leave in ten minutes, Chip." Regina said as she walked by the prince, Belle and Snow.

"Yes, your majesty." Chip nodded his understanding as he watched the Shadow Queen move on to the other princes and knights. Once Regina was out of human earshot, he turned to his mothers, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, Chip. What's she going to do? Stop us? She needs more help than seven men."

"It's not just a queen and seven men. It's five princes, two knights, her six advisors, a king and now four queens."

"A king and four queens?" Belle raised a brow.

"Emma's parents are coming. And they gave Emma her stubbornness, do you really think Regina was going to fight with them?"

"No…" Belle shook her head, "I suppose not." She looked to her wife who didn't look back at her, this action made her look down in fear, or was it concern over what her wife was feeling for the White Queen? "We should still go. We need to. We need to even the score."

A moment later, Queen Red turned her head the slightest amount when she smelt Snow come to the castle entrance where everyone was gathering.

Chip caught the turn of her head; he had been told that his werewolf mother had quite the wandering eye before she met his other mother. He'd heard rumors from maidens and royals that didn't know of his wolf hearing when Snow and Charming were at the same parties he and his mothers were about Snow and Red.

All he needed to see was the look in Red's eyes before he turned to Belle, "Mom, I've something I want to speak with you about." He took his mother by her shoulders and walked away, "I wanted to know if you've told me everything about Pure Ones that you know…?"

Red closed her eyes, thanking her son for rolling with punches. She turned and made her way over to Snow, pulling her to a small entryway out of site from everyone else.

"What are you doing?!" Snow hissed as she glared to the other woman, yanking her arm from Red's grasp.

"Are you all right?" Red ignored the woman's flustered state from being Red-handled into a dark corner.

"I was fine until you pulled me over here!"

"Snow…" Red's tone reminded the White Queen just who she was dealing with.

Snow blinked as water began welling her eyes, and she let her mask fall a bit. "That _woman_… She took her from me."

"I know."

"She continuously takes from everyone!"

"I know."

"She put me in a sleeping curse because she thought me prettier than her."

"I know." Red half chuckled.

"Have you seen her daughter? I am no competition."

"You are…" Red tilted her head and gave the White Queen a lazy smile.

"No. _You_ are." Snow put her hands on her hips and paced a moment. She looked back to the Queen of the Enchanted Forest West and sighed. "My gods, the things she must have done to Regina. And look how… _good_ she's turned out anyways."

Red nodded, "She keeps a bad reputation, but she's probably the smartest and bravest ruler of us all." She looked Snow in the eye, "And that is why I know that she's going to bring your daughter back."

Snow shook her head and took to pacing, holding her stomach, "I can't focus on it. I can focus enough to know why I'm going, to know I'm getting Emma back. And then I have to stop."

Red nodded, "I understand."

"Do you? Do you know what it's like to have your child taken from you?"

"Yes." Red nodded, "I also know what it's like to get them back and kill the person that took them."

Snow stared up at the other woman, "Chip was kidnapped?"

"He was a small child. He didn't even know he was gone. Or, if he did, he never told me."

"What happened?"

"Someone found out he was a different kind," Red leaned forward, emphasizing what she said before she added the last words, "of wolf. Wanted him for himself, wanted to train him to do his bidding, I'm sure. What he didn't realize or didn't care to acknowledge was that it was the night of the full moon. He probably thought it poetic, but I tracked him down in two hours."

"And then?"

"I made sure no magic or harm had come to Chip, put him in my knight's arms, told him to wait outside for a few minutes, and took off my hood."

"Red." Snow looked up, marveling at the fierceness the mother gave off.

"Snow, no one here likes Cora, everyone here wants her dead. And a few of us have personal vendettas against her and the Dark One." Red placed a hand on Snow's shoulder, "We're going to get Emma back. And then you'll take off your hood… Everyone will."

Snow laughed a sad laugh as she reached out in askance for a hug. Red was quick to enter the White Queen's hold and they stayed that way.

"You know what this reminds me of?" Snow asked after taking a calming breath and possibly holding tighter.

"What?"

"Our first weeks together." The White Queen pulled from Red just enough to see her face. "You would sneak onto the castle grounds and I would sneak out of my room. We'd first meet in the stables or under a dark archway before deciding where we could go."

Red smiled, "That is what would happen."

"But then we grew up." Snow's tone was filled with sadness.

"We grew apart." Red's tone matched that of Snow White's.

"We fell in love."

"Got married."

"And had children."

"And now our children are old enough to have wild romances not unlike ours." Red smiled.

"Mine apparently already has."

"Yours is lucky."

Snow gave the brunette a look, "Yours is. And he will find love. He's too good, too much like you not to."

"He is his mother." Red smiled, "I merely gave him his wolf, his eyes and hair. She gave him his brain."

"He has your bleeding heart." Snow said as she touched Red's chest for emphasis.

"Yes… I suppose he does." Red nodded. She glanced out to the front grounds where horses, guards and the royals were, "We should go back out there."

"Yes, you should." Regina crossed her arms as she stood at the archway of the alcove the two Queens had hidden themselves in.

"Regina!" Snow looked to the Shadow Queen wide-eyed. Then, an idea came to mind of how she could get herself out of the situation she was in, "Might I call you Regina seeing as you're in love with my daughter and all?"

Regina wasn't shaken by the comment, "Of course, Snow. Might I presume you two are not supposed to be alone together and that's why you've stolen away in the shadows?"

Snow looked down, "There is nothing between us but love and respect."

"Yes, I'd imagine so. And I imagine that your Charming and Belle have a problem with the 'love' part."

Red looked to the queen with a smirk, "You know what she meant."

"I do." Regina nodded.

"Then why presume I meant otherwise?" Snow asked.

Regina tilted her head to the other woman and gave a soft, sad smile, "Because a jealous lover doesn't know what you mean when you say you love a past lover—even if you are explicit whilst telling them."

"It sounds as though you've dealt with this personally?" Snow tried to sound casual and vague.

Regina chuckled, "If you have something to ask, ask it."

"Did you love anyone before my daughter?"

"I did." Regina nodded and looked away.

"Do you use this love to make her jealous?"

Regina shook her head, "I don't." She swallowed, "Only out of respect for the dead, though. I would use Daniel all the time if he were alive."

Snow placed a gentle hand on her forearm, "I'm so sorry."

"It's quite all right." Regina pulled and moved back into the beginnings of the dawning sun.

"Do you mind if I ask what happened?" Red called after the Shadow Queen, causing her to pause her stride.

Regina turned her head to the side but looked to neither woman, "My mother ripped his heart out and crushed it to dust ten feet in front of me because he was a stable boy and I a princess." The lump she swallowed was large. "Come," Regina gestured with her left hand, "We have a princess to save."

Red was quick to move, knowing Snow saw the same ring she had, the one that had belonged to Queen Eva, and that the White Queen was going to want a moment to talk about it. She squeezed Regina's shoulder as she passed her by and moved beyond the private point to find her wife and son.

Snow strode from the shadows of the alcove over to the Shadow Queen, linking her right arm with the brunette's left. She took the queen's hand and stared at her mother's diamond ring a moment. "This ring looks lovely on your hand." She smiled to the other woman, "My husband told me Emma proposed to you with it?"

"Yes." Regina nodded as they strode slowly to their readied horses.

"He said it was the first day she met you."

"It was." Regina smiled as she looked down to the ring again. "We were on a park bench. It was the twilight hour; everyone had gone home. She got down on her knee, pulled the ring from her necklace and asked me to marry her." Regina let out a small laugh with a sigh, "I asked her if she were crazy…" She shook her head and looked to her feet as she took each step.

"And what did she say?" Snow asked as they stopped at the white horse that seemed to be all too familiar.

"She said 'No.' That she just didn't want to seem rash. Then she leaned in and kissed me."

Snow rolled her eyes, "My daughter, the princess with all her tact in place." She smiled before sobering from her sarcasm, "That was it for you, wasn't it? You tried to deny it and walk away, or push her away. But she didn't let you and you didn't really want to in the first place."

Regina nodded, "Yes, that's it exactly. How did you—?"

"She's her father's daughter." Snow supplied. She looked over Regina then to the white horse once more, "You've her horse, her weaponry and her ring. If anyone doesn't know what you're doing, they will when they see you with Ice." She touched the horse's neck, petting him, letting him know she did in fact recognize him.

Regina magicked and apple and gave it to the horse, "Well, I couldn't very well leave him here when he knows Emma's in possible danger…"

Snow shook her head, "No, that horse loves his owner. He's like a hound in that way; fierce and loyal."

Regina nodded before she turned to the east and squinted her eyes, "It is time." She mounted the favored horse. "It is time." She called to all the other royals standing about with their respective sons and knights.

Snow found her husband and their horses, "You were right." Snow looked to her husband after mounting her tan horse.

"I know." Charming gave her that smile of his.

"She's perfect for our daughter."

"NO!" Regina's voice interrupted everyone's last minute conversations as she trotted over to Belle and Red, who had mounted their suited horses, "What are you two doing?"

"We're going with you." Belle said.

"Evening up the teams." Red provided.

"I need you to stay here." Regina begged the queens.

"Regina… You have six advisors, five princes, two knights and a king and queen. You're leaving behind an entire army, and all the other royals and the guards they brought with them… You could use two more people." Red said.

"Yeah," Belle nodded, "And with Red and Chip's noses and my know-how… What's it really gonna hurt?"

"And… if you want to go find Emma, you don't have time to argue." Red gave her a winning, arrogant smile.

Regina didn't do anything; she didn't huff in frustration nor roll her eyes. She simply turned Ice around and looked to make sure everyone else was ready to go. "Let us be off now." She looked to her ring to let it guide her.

~0~0~0~0~0~

The group had been riding for an hour, Regina at the front of the pack with Chip, Arely, and Artie, at her sides, and Alexander, Patrick, Dunstan and Gustave just behind as the roads weren't wide enough for all eight of them. Snow and Charming were in the middle with Pinocchio and Jefferson, and Red and Belle were just behind them with Bae, Genie, Graham and Hook.

A couple of birds landed on Pinocchio's shoulder. "Gods!" he tried to shoo them away.

Jefferson let out a boisterous guffaw, loud enough to cause the attention of every person on the trail and every wildlife creature in what seemed to be a mile radius, "What? Pinocchio, don't you like the wilderness?" He teased.

Regina rolled her eyes and turned back to staring at her ring, making sure she was still going in the right direction.

Pinocchio refused to take the bait. "Yes, I love it."

"Oh, come now. You hate it. You hate that even in human form, birds still find purchase on your…limbs."

This caused the rest of the advisors to chuckle, and the other royals to try to stop themselves from laughing outright.

"That pun was no fun. Now, come on. We are here for the queen. We said we would behave."

Jefferson raised his hands in surrender, "Of course, old friend. I just—"

"You just had to take opportunity where it struck."

"Exactly." The hatter nodded once, tapping his hat before it fell off his head.

Red decided that it would be a good time to talk with her wife, seeing as she was happy and amused with the goings on of the group they were with. "Darling?"

"Yes, love?" Belle looked to her wife, a wide smile gracing her features.

Red smiled back, "I talked with Snow this morning before the trip." She spoke softly.

Belle's smile faded and she looked down, "Oh?"

"I just wanted to make sure that she was alright."

Belle licked the front of her teeth, "Of course." She swallowed and turned her head to look at her wife, "What happened?"

"What? Nothing happened…"

"Obviously something did if you feel guilty enough to confess to my face that you went and 'spoke' with your ex-lover behind my back."

Chip turned from his spot next to Regina to look at his mothers in the back of the back.

Regina knit her brows, "Is everything all right, Chip?"

Chip nodded, "My mothers…"

Arely looked to see an intense stare between them, "They love each other." He observed, "Are they fighting about Queen Snow?"

Hearing his knowing words, Red turned to look at Arely with darkened features. She looked down as she thought about what to say next, "Darling, the only thing that happened was I told her that we'd been in her position before. We hugged—"

"Sure." Belle turned from her.

"Isabelle Lacey Lucas!" Red pulled the reigns of her horse and leapt to the ground. She grabbed Belle's hand, taking the reigns and stopping her horse before yanking on the hand in her grasp, causing her wife to fall in her arms.

This commotion caused everyone to stop and turn.

Red looked to the rest of them, "Go on." She gestured for them to go. "We'll catch up."

Regina inhaled deeply. She was not going to yell at them for causing distraction. She was not going to yell at them for delaying even if it only for a minute. She looked down at her ring and noticed it beginning to fade.

"What does that mean?" Artie asked.

"It means that we've gotten off course; we're going the wrong way now." She turned Ice to her right and let him trot a few paces and saw the ring dull even more before turning the opposite direction and it brightened once more.

Regina let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as Ice led the group off the road and into the plains. He took into a gallop and Regina was more than eager to let him. She simply stared at her ring making sure it stayed bright as Ice ran to his content.

As everyone followed, Snow looked back to see Belle glowering her way. She looked away, deciding she didn't want to think about the fact that Red and Belle were fighting because of her.

Charming made sure to keep by his wife as their horses broke into a run with the rest of them, "Nothing happened." He said, taking in her look of surprise. "I mean, with Red. Nothing happened…Right?" he only asked after the woman didn't respond in any way.

"Of course!" Snow now looked offended.

"So… it's okay." Charming nodded her direction, "She knows you; she knows things about you I probably don't. But she knows that you're not okay and she tried to help."

"How—?"

"I saw the look in her eyes as she walked over to you and brought you under that archway…" he ducked his head, "I had half a mind to rip her a new one, but I let it go this time."

Snow narrowed her brows, "Charming…?" she was suspicious.

"Yes, Snow?"

"Did you send Regina over to us?"

"Might have." He gave his wife a grin. "You had been alone long enough to have a good conversation."

Snow smiled at him, "We had."

~0~0~0~0~0~0~

"You have no right to full name me!" Belle pushed her wife away.

"I have every right to full name you when you're acting like the prissy princess you never wanted to be!"

"I am not acting prissy nor like a princess!"

"You are! You won't listen to me! To what I've said!"

"Because what you've said isn't good enough to rationalize taking your ex-lover behind my back in front of my face!"

"I didn't _take_ her! I took her aside to talk!"

"And why should I believe that that's all that happened?!"

"Because I'm in love with you!" Red looked at the woman as if she were crazy, "I'm in love with you." She calmed down, "You are the woman I want at the end of the day. Even when you are irrational and obnoxious."

"But you loved her." Belle had tears in her eyes.

"I thought I did. But it wasn't true love. I'm a wolf, you know I mate for life—that as a werewolf, I fall in love once and stay in love until I die." Red took two steps, slowly closing the distance between herself and her wife, "It was infatuation, a childhood romance that I thought might be real love. But we didn't survive our first real fight. We didn't stick around for each other. You…" She reached out, taking one of Belle's hands and touching her cheek, "You are real. You are a part of me that I am never giving up or getting over. She is simply my past. Do I care for her? Of course. She's a good person with a good heart." She took a breath, "And her daughter was kidnapped… and it's been almost two weeks."

Belle looked away, but let her wife keep talking.

"When Chip was taken from us… that was the most excruciating few hours of my life. And I know it was yours too." She swallowed, "Can you imagine what she's going through right now at two weeks?" She shook her head, "Yeah, I took her aside today to try to comfort her. I see her and I think of times past. But none of it could ever compare to you. Okay?" She moved from her wife to mount her horse once more.

"That's it?" Belle looked at her with scolding.

"Well…" Red looked down and kicked the dirt, "I mean… Yeah. I said what I had to say, and they are booking it in those fields. We need to catch up."

Belle shook her head at her wife's antics. "You really don't understand how I work after all these years."

Red's tone was serious, "Darling, when you change the rules constantly, I'm never in the know."

Belle gave her an amused look, "Kiss me and make up with me."

"Oh… right." A smile graced Red's face as she walked back over to her wife.

**AN: Hope you Red Snow, Red Beauty/Real Beauty and the Beasters and Snowing fans enjoyed this one. Yes, I know it's a filler chapter, but I couldn't resist some relational spats and cuteness.**

**Read and Review! Thoughts and Feels?**

**I should be updating again tomorrow. For the second update today, thank ihowilde, NORTH0314, KooshGID, EvilRegal94 and Draven260.**


	18. Chapter 18

Emma's axe was keeping its place in the air before her. She grabbed it as if knowing that it waited for her. She inhaled deeply as if summoning energy from the axe itself, yet calming herself from the anger and lust of revenge she knew she was going to feel, calming herself for the fight that was sure to come. When she opened her eyes, they were swirling with white and blue.

"Emma, dear?"

"Yes, Grandmother?"

"What exactly are you doing?" She asked as she watched her granddaughter's actions.

"I…" She looked down, blue and white still in her eyes, her grip tightening on her axe. "I'm not sure. This has never happened to me before."

"Is the axe doing something to you?"

Emma smiled, "It's healing me. From the inside out. I don't feel pain anymore, do I look better?" When her grandmother shook her head telling her she did not look any better, she shrugged, "I don't care. I'm feeling tingly and new." She looked back to her grandmother as her smile turned to a smirk.

"Is this going to take a while because that weapon of yours caused a pretty big commotion, and I wouldn't be surprised if—"

"Of course she's still in there, why wouldn't she be in there?! She can't just be gone!" Dr. Frankenstein's voice was booming down the hallway.

"But Dr. Frankenstein! I followed the axe! I watched her grab it and then they were both gone!" Frankenstein's Igor spoke out of breath as he ran after his master.

Frankenstein and the Igor both ran into the dungeon cell over the wood chunks that had been a door ten minutes prior.

Emma and Eva stared at both of them as they looked around.

"She's gone." He placed his hand over his mouth as he slowly backed out of the room and took off running, his Igor not far behind.

"I'm invisible." Emma smiled, looking back to her grandmother. "This is going to be a lot easier than I thought." Then, whilst gripping her axe with more vigor, more confidence, she stalked up to the doorway of the dungeon.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma found herself wandering the halls.

"Where are we going?"

"I want to find them. I want to know why they stopped doing anything. What they were preparing for."

"I think that you know that they were planning a slow, painful death for you so they could have your magic."

Emma stared at her mother's mother, "Yes, thank you Grandmother, Eva." She turned and began walking again. "I want to know specifics. I need answers."

"You've been saying that a lot these last few weeks."

"I've never needed them before now. Before these two…" Emma shook her head, not able to finish the thought.

The sound of metal footfalls slowly made their way around the corridor they were walking in.

"There's nothing down here." The brute of a guard said.

"You sure? I thought I heard something."

The guard shook his head and walked back to his post.

Emma bit her lip before walking slowly, stealthily. Eva followed, though she didn't have to seeing as she could be seen and heard by whomever she pleased. They came to a stop in front of the door that, Emma was sure, led to their bedroom. She tried to poof, but she came right back to the spot she had started. She tried once more.

Then, on a whim, she tried to go to Regina's bedroom—somewhere outside the castle walls. No dice. Again, she materialized right where she tried to leave. They really had to make things difficult, magicking the castle to not allow her to flash places.

Finally, she gave up, shrugged and simply opened the door as quietly as possible. She crept into the quarters and looked around at the many things on the walls and surfaces, each little trinket she would bet her grandmother's ring on was something from the people they had manipulated or overpowered.

Eva slapped her upper arm as she heard the thoughts coming from her grandchild.

Emma grabbed her arm and rubbed, giving the woman a glare.

Eva simply crossed her arms, _I can hear your thoughts, remember? Don't bet _my_ ring! The one you proposed with!_

Emma's eyes widened with shock as she heard her grandmother's voice, but watched her lips stayed shut, firm and angry. She smiled at the knowledge that she could communicate without saying anything and nodded, turning from her sheepishly, _I'm sorry, Grandmother. I'm just saying… They've become a couple of disgusting packrats. Too much stuff to ever use, none of it worth keeping hidden._

Eva listened as she walked along a chest of drawers and looked over the many things covering the top, _You're not wrong. _She grimaced as she saw a photograph of herself and Snow the day of Snow's first birthday. It was a private photo; her favorite. She'd only ever mentioned that fact once to the woman, before she knew her to be evil, before she killed her. She had always wondered what happened to it. Now she knew.

Emma walked over and saw it, _I'll be sure to give it to Mom._ She promised with a sad smile before moving into the room more.

"Dearie, I think she was lying." Rumple said as he spun straw to gold, keeping himself calm.

"Do you know it for certain?" Cora turned from her primping to stare at her lover, "Because ever since she's said those things your visions have been awfully fuzzy. So until they're cleared up, I don't think it wise to go in there and try to take her power when she could very well be at full strength and kill us where we stand!" Her voice had started soft, but by the end of her rant, she was standing with her hands on the hips of her silky robe, her voice raised more than a few decibels.

Rumple had stopping spinning and stared at the woman before him. When had she gotten so… careful? When had they gotten so old to start worrying about a little death? He turned to his spindle once more, "She was lying."

"How do you know?" Cora asked as she laid out on the bed.

He stopped spinning once more, stared at her and gave her a dirty smile as he stood from the spindle, "Because, my dear, I just know. I wish you would let me get on with it…"

Cora gave the man a dirty smile of her own as she got to her knees and walked to the edge of the bed, "Ah, but darling," she started as she loosened the belt of her robe and let the sleeves fall down her shoulders just enough to reveal a silver chained necklace with a pendant of a swan, "I hold all the cards, don't I?"

Rumple took two strides before he got to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He stared at the pendant and leaned down kissing her skin around it before nipping his way up her neck, "That you do."

_Oh. My. Gods. Baelfire said he changed his dagger to that of a pendant of a swan… He lets her control him…_ Emma shook her head, _He is so whipped and totally likes to be controlled… Ew._ She put her free hand in her pocket and leaned against the walkway she was at as she waited for anything else private that they might say help her in the long run. _Though if Cora's anything like her goddess of a daughter, I would do the same if I were him._ She realized that Eva could still hear her and she was quick to feel the stare of her unimpressed grandmother bore into her, _Sorry, Grandmother. I can't control all my thoughts._

_Mhmm_. Eva turned away from the sight before them, _Might we leave now? It's hardly an appropriate time to take their lives, don't you think?_

Emma glanced back to the bed and really wished to every god and goddess, and her grandmother that she could unsee what her eyes fell upon. _WHY?! Why did you let me see that?_ She looked to her grandmother.

_Maybe now you will control your thoughts just a little bit more while we're not talking. _Eva gave her a playful smile before walking into another room. _Emma? Come in here._

Emma, who had decided to give her grandmother a little space as Regina kept filling her mind despite knowing that the woman's mother and lover were doing it in the room next to them, or possibly because of that she would regretfully admit, heard the woman and tried to control her thoughts as she walked into a study. _What is it?_ She looked at the concern of her grandmother's face.

_I think this might be what they were planning for you…_

~0~0~0~0~0~

The sun was setting and Regina refused to stop going. Three days had already passed and their fourth was ending. That day they'd taken two breaks for meals and she couldn't lose any more time. They'd been walking alongside their steeds since dinner, and everyone besides Chip and Red (if she weren't sticking next to her wife) was lagging behind.

"Regina?" Snow called from the middle of the expanding pack, "I think we need to stop for the time being. Jefferson is barely standing."

Regina turned around to see her advisor hunched over, hands on his knees, panting, "Yes, well, that is why I told him to stay at the castle with his daughter."

"Regina, we need to be rested if we're going to face the dark one and Cora." Charming stared at her.

Regina looked down a moment, really considering stopping. "No." she said, "I'm going forth. You do as you want." She started walking again.

"Your Majesty…" Graham ran up to her, "Think about what you're doing."

"You've said this the last three nights as well." She stepped into his space, her eyes narrowed, "I am not stopping." Her tone was low and threatening. She turned away, taking a couple steps more, "We are close!" Sudden tears in her eyes, "I can feel her! I'm not stopping!" She said again.

Graham bit his lip and looked down. He said nothing more and walked back to his place in the pack.

Regina swallowed her cry, nodded and turned to walk alone. She held tighter to Ice's reigns as she did this, which only prompted the horse to nudge her cheek before giving it a lick, telling her he was happily following her to find his human.

A dark horse caught her eye in her periphery and then a lighter one, then another. She looked to the other side to see four more horses' noses. Chip, Artie, Arely, Alexander, Patrick, Dunstan and Gustave were all walking with her.

Too overwhelmed to do anything, she looked down at her ring again. It began glowing brighter. Her eyes widened when she noticed this and in a moment of excitement, she hopped on Ice's back. Her contenders followed suit and they rode for another mile or so before they came to a lake. There was a long dock, but no boat whatsoever.

On the other side of the lake were tall hills that they would have to climb themselves. They were going to need light if they were going to climb. She was sure she could magic some sort of floating fireball, but hers just weren't as bright as Emma's. Of course, she could just set one of the hills on fire until they found access to the other side or the hidden castle of Rumplestilskin and her mother.

"What now?" Arely broke the silence.

"We need to go around the lake." Chip said softly.

"Can't you transport us like Emma did?" Artie asked.

Regina nodded, "I can, but, if for some reason their castle is hidden inside one of the hills and I just transport us to that small clearing on the other side…" She trailed off.

"You think their castle is _inside _one of the hills?" Alexander asked.

"No." Regina shook her head.

"But she's not taking any chances." Patrick finished.

"And she shouldn't." Gustave added. He looked at the ever darkening sky, "Well, Your Majesty? How do you propose we go forth with no light?"

She was so close to her, and the night and some steep ledges might keep her from finding Emma. The emotions were overwhelming.

"NO!" She screamed and fell to her knees startling everyone. "Is this punishment?!" She screamed to the high heavens. "Are you all punishing me? For what? I've done nothing that deserves punishment!"

"Is she yelling at the gods?" Arely whispered as the seven of them gathered in a short line.

"Aye." Chip's eyes were wide.

"She's completely lost it." Artie breathed out as they watched her rant continue.

"I've turned my kingdom around from my mother's reign! Even when I wanted nothing to do with running a kingdom! I've kept my heart in my chest! I've done everything that is expected of me! The only thing!" She was standing once more, pacing, hands on her hips, still looking at the stars in the sky, "The _only_ thing that I have done for myself is love."

She stopped her pacing and gave the sky a frank stare, "And you let my mother rip his heart out and you made me watch. And when I finally let the walls come down, when I finally said yes to her many, many proposals, and agreed to let her compete for my hand, you let them take her from me, you let them torture her no doubt! So, I find a way to find her before they drain her, before they _murder_ her, and when I'm finally getting close you do this?!" She stamped her foot and gestured to the hills across the lake.

"Should we stop her before she angers them?" Dunstan asked.

"Nay." Gustave shook his head. "It's nothing they haven't heard before, I'm sure. She needs to get this off her chest."

Alexander and Patrick simply nodded along.

With another angry stamp of her foot, Regina's attention was directed back to the skies, "I don't accept it!" She cried, glaring up at the stars, "You all better give me a sign as to where exactly she is and you better let us live our life in peace when I get her home, or so help me when I come up there I will destroy every last one of you if it is the _last_ thing I do." She was breathing heavily, angrily, hands placed on her hips once more as she waited, giving the gods time to give her a sign.

All of the men looked to Gustave, "Okay, maybe they've never heard_ that_ before, but maybe they will give her a sign in exchange for their eternal lives. After all, one thing you should never do dead or alive…"

"Cross a love lost woman?" Artie looked to him.

"Exactly." The knight nodded.

A light grey cloud began swirling over the lake, lightening lighting the cloud every which way, thunder crackling. Everyone watched on in awe as the oddly light colored storm cloud hovered over the middle, never moving from the spot only spinning in a slow circle.

As thunder sounded, everyone jumped a bit, and when Regina moved her left hand to cover herself, thinking she might have possibly upset the gods, she felt Emma's ring leave her finger. Its shine quickly caught her attention and she was quick to follow it onto the dock. As it got to the end of it, it dropped to the very last board, and then the storm cloud dissipated as if it were never there.

"Is it invisible on the lake?" Artie called from his spot at the end of the dock with everyone else.

Regina first knelt down to retrieve her ring and raised a hand and pushed forward, "There's nothing here." And as she thought better of it, she realized, "With all the wind we would have seen waves lapping against it." She turned to them.

"Does that mean it's under the water?" Arely was the first to spitball.

Regina looked back in the water. She thought about it a moment and looked at the ring, it was the brightest it had ever been. She nodded, still looking in the water, "It does. Probably under the lake bottom." She scratched her forehead and walked back up the dock. "Gentlemen, I don't know how to thank you." She smiled sadly, "I also don't know what's going to happen underwater. For all we know they could have dropped mermaids in there. The evil kind, Arely" She gave the man a look before he started, "Not the lovely kind your father is, but the kind that make you stare into their eyes while they sing and pull you under until you drown then feast on your body."

"My father is not your average merman." Arely said truthfully, "His clan is the only clan left of the 'lovely' kind of mermaid you refer. They call themselves 'vegetarian'." He looked to the Shadow Queen, "When I hear the word 'mermaid' I think of the kind that make you stare into their eyes as they sing and pull you under until you drown then feast on your body." He nodded, proud that he has said the exact words she had to describe the two kinds of mermaids.

Regina shook her head at Arely's antics and looked to them all seriously, "I can't ask you to come with me."

"And we can't let you go alone." Chip insisted.

"Yeah. You're stuck with us… All of us." Charming's voice rang out as he, Snow, the advisors, Red and Belle all galloped to where the rest of the horses seemed to be resting. They dismounted and walked as a group over to them. "We've all lived." He started, "You all, you're just starting out. We've loved and lost and gone to battle and seen things one can't begin to surmise. We're not naïve anymore."

He took a breath, "And that, it occurred to me as we set up camp, is not good. We've lost faith. Most of us know that if a person doesn't return home after two weeks it's because they don't want to or they can't…" He looked down, "But as you left, you said you felt her." He walked over to the Shadow Queen and took her face like he would his daughter's, "As long as you can feel her, I am at your side. As long as you can feel her, she's alive." He smiled and looked over to his wife, "I know what it's like to have that connection. And if you're telling me that my little princess is alive, then I am ready to battle to the death with the people that took her."

"As am I." Snow walked over to her husband and Regina, linking her hand through his arm and grasping her shoulder in encouragement.

Hook stepped forward, "Regina, we've said it before, we'll say it again… You gave us our lives back. We're not going to not follow you into a battle that will give you yours. We weren't trying to stop you from finding her. We were trying to make you rest."

Regina nodded, "I am aware. But I can't rest."

"We've come to realize." Hook nodded.

Jefferson stepped to the water's edge, "So, the castle is in the water?"

"The castle is probably under the entire lake." Regina looked to her advisor.

"There are mermaids in the water." Hook looked hesitantly passed Regina to the waters. His statement making Jefferson jump a few feet back.

"How can you be sure?" Graham asked.

Hook simply pointed to the edge of the dock, the outline of a girl holding herself on the dock's edge clear in the moonlight.

Arely stepped onto the dock and began whistling as he slowly, took each step in stride, locking eyes with the mermaid holding herself up at the edge of the dock.

"What the hell is he doing?!" Hook's voice was nearing a shouting level as he tried to walk after the boy.

"Hook." Regina stopped him from going further as she watched the Caspian Prince, understanding that he was trying to help. "If he gets into trouble, we will kill her and rescue him."

"He's whistling 'My Jolly Sailor Bold'!" He huffed, "Everyone knows mermaids like singing, and everyone that knows _that_ song knows never to sing it with mermaids present. That boy's a death wish."

"It's cute that you all of the sudden care about the young prince of a pirate." Regina looked to him, "But give him a chance before underestimating a future sailing partner."

Hook gave his queen a glare.

"My heart is pierced by Cupid; I disdain all glittering gold; There is nothing can console me; But my jolly sailor bold." Arely laid down on the dock, his fingers lacing and his chin making to rest on his hands. His face was inches from the mermaid and he felt oddly calm.

"You have a lovely singing voice." The mermaid said with a smile on her face.

"Aye. I know." He smiled back at her, "Might I ask you a question?"

The mermaid pushed from the dock and swam back in thought, "I suppose that would be all right."

"How did you get here?"

"How did I get here?"

Arely nodded, "Yes, how were you put in this lake? It's practically in the very center of all the lands. A mermaid should have the right to live in the oceans and seas. Not a single lake. I'd no idea it was even possible. So… How did you get here?"

The mermaid looked around as she heard her sisters trying to stop her, but something in the nice singing man's voice made her trust him, "It was the bad magical man that lives below." She whispered. "He captured us and dumped us here."

Arely gave a small nod, "Are there any other creatures in there besides you and your sisters that could hurt my family back there and myself?"

"I wouldn't hurt you." She smiled, pushing up a bit further.

Arely gave the mermaid a flirtatious smile in return, "I doubt that."

This made the mermaid's smile brighten, "Do you enjoy danger?"

"Aye. When I know I won't die, I enjoy it a lot more…"

She bit her lip in thought before, "No."

"No?"

"There aren't any other creatures that can hurt you."

Arely nodded, "Do you make deals?"

"The bad man made us a deal and this is where we ended up." She pushed from the dock, crossing her arms and kicking her tail, treading above water to see her stern features.

Her sisters now joined her above water; there were at least as many mermaids as there were people up shore.

"My apologies. How about a pact?"

"A pact?"

"Yes, it's like a deal, but with good guys."

"And how do we know that you be a good guy, pirate?" One of her sisters asked.

"I am Arely. Ariel's son. King Triton is my grandfather."

"King Triton? The King of the Caspian Sea?" another sister asked.

"Aye, the one and the same."

"Oh, I love the Caspian Sea." Another sister spoke.

And then another, "The Caspian Sea is lovely this time of year!"

Arely smirked, "The Caspian Sea is lovely all year round, love." He gave her a smile.

She blushed and sank into the water so only her eyes showed.

The first mermaid, the mermaid still at the dock looked at him, "Just what is your pact?"

"You all guarantee us safe passage, or even help us get to the entrance of the bad man's castle, and when we're done with him, we'll bring you to the Caspian Sea and I will talk to my grandfather about adopting you."

The mermaid looked to her sisters in question.

"You know you'll not be allowed to eat humans…" he forewarned.

"We're used to it, now." One of the sisters said.

The first mermaid, the leader, made her decision, "Okay, Caspian Prince." She looked at him and pushed up to her stomach, locking her arms on the edge of the deck, "We'll take you there, and if you get out—"

"When we get out."

"You'll take us to the sea."

"Aye."

"We shall seal this pact with a kiss."

"Well, in that case, mermaid, you should call me Arely."

"And I am Cordelia."

"Jewel of the sea. My, that's an appropriate name for a mermaid if I've ever heard one." He smiled and leaned in.

She took his face in both her hands and pressed her lips against his. "The pact is made, Arely."

"It is, indeed, Cordelia." He stood, "I am going to gather them and we will be diving in shortly."

She nodded as she swam backwards on her back with a smile on her face, "We'll be waiting."

**AN: Like them mermaids? I sure did. Read and Review, please! Thoughts and Feels?**


	19. Chapter 19

A guard had come into Maleficent's room to give her, her dinner. She had asked him to light a fire in the pit on her balcony, and after five more minutes of convincing him that she couldn't hurt him or do anything with it after it was lit, he begrudgingly headed outside to make the fire.

The blonde walked over to the drink cart in her room and poured herself a glass of Regina's strong cider. As she poured, Aurora's voice filled the room.

"They don't let me see you."

Maleficent turned around to look her Briar Rose, "I know."

"But I want to…" Aurora looked down with guilt as she leaned against the doorway.

"I know you do."

"Don't you want to see me?" She asked with big, wet, hopeful eyes.

"I do." Maleficent nodded, "I want to see my Briar Rose."

Aurora nodded, "I want you to, too." She pushed from the doorway and walked back into the living room.

Before Maleficent could follow, the guard came back in, "Fire's lit." He said as he made his way back to the entrance of the room. He noticed that he left the door open, "She didn't come in here, did she?" Maleficent shook her head, "And you didn't go in there?" With another shake of her head and a swift turn away from him, the knight nodded once before making his way to the door, "I could accidentally forget to lock it…"

Maleficent turned back to him, her eyes watery and pleading, "You can?"

He said nothing more, but left the door that divided the living room and bedroom open and made his way quickly out of Aurora's ever changing dodge with a slam and a lock to the front of the chambers.

Maleficent waited for a good five minutes, hoping, wishing that Aurora would come back in, but she didn't. So, she picked up her cider—and the bottle—and walked outside. She put the capped bottle of cider on the ground next to her as she settled into the bowled, dark, wicker swinging chair. She sat crisscross and held her tumbler in her lap and watched the flames of the fire move about.

"The mashed potatoes were good."

There was that voice of her Briar Rose again. She looked over to the heartless princess that still knew she was in love. "Pardon?"

"The mashed potatoes… With dinner." Aurora walked back inside.

Just as Maleficent had given up on the girl returning and started to get out of the large swing, Aurora appeared again with a plate in her hands and the large comforter from her bed nestled between her chin and chest, dragging under her arm onto the floor behind her. After making her way to Maleficent, Aurora gave her the plate of food and put the blanket on her knees, avoiding the tumbler of cider. Then, she got in the swinging chair and sidled next to the blonde, pulling the comforter over them both, tumbler be damned.

Maleficent held the plate with one hand at the same angle it was given to her as her head turned to the other woman and stared.

Aurora simply reached out to the plate, swiping the potatoes with her index finger and sticking the stolen bite in her mouth, "They're good." She promised, savoring her mouthful. When Maleficent didn't turn to her plate, Aurora simply took it from her, measured a forkful of potatoes and put it in front of the blonde's lips. "Eat."

Finally, Maleficent moved. She brought her hand down and opened her mouth, letting the fork make its way inside her mouth.

Aurora then smiled, and what was left of Maleficent's heart beat faster. "They're good, right?"

They weren't anything to write home about; if anything, they were a little bland. "Delicious." Maleficent nodded.

"You don't like them." Aurora said knowingly, "I know when you're just being nice because I like something you think needs salt." She stuck the fork in Maleficent's potatoes once more, "I'm gonna eat them, Phyl, okay?"

Maleficent nodded, "Okay." She whispered, turning to the fire, hoping the other woman wasn't looking at her as a tear made its way down her cheek.

"You don't like it when I call you that." Aurora observed, "It makes you sad." She wiped Maleficent's cheek, "I don't think I've ever seen you leak water before."

"'Cry'. That's the word you want." Maleficent looked to the other princess again, "You've never seen me cry before."

"Right…" Aurora looked down, "Why do I forget things?"

"Because you've no heart. They've tortured you, controlled you, confused you. They've made you crazy."

"But you still love me." It wasn't a question; it was observation. "You still love Briar Rose."

"I do still love Briar Rose. And as long as you're alive, and as long as I'm alive, I have to believe that there is a chance that we will get our hearts back."

"But you can't look at me like you did until that happens…"

Maleficent stared the girl in the eyes, "I look at you. I'm looking at you now."

"But not like you did." Aurora leaned in a bit, "It used to be different. It used to not be cautious. Now you never know if I'm…"

"One of them."

"I don't think I am right now."

Maleficent swallowed the lump in her throat, "I don't think you are either."

Aurora looked to the food in her lap. She shoveled most of the potatoes in her mouth and swallowed before, "You need to eat. You're only human now. You have to eat." She gave the plate to the other woman.

Maleficent speared some green beans and took a cautious bite. Deciding she was okay with them, she finished the helping before moving on to her pre-cut chicken. She managed to use what was left of the potatoes as a dip without Aurora noticing.

Normally, Aurora would get riled up and tell her to apologize to the potatoes for saying they were gross then eating them anyways. As she finished her last bite, she rolled her eyes as she glanced to the girl next to her. How she ever fell for such a girl, she'd never know. She did know that she would give anything to have to apologize to her food for calling it bland, she would give anything to get her Briar Rose back.

Aurora turned to her as she set the plate on the ground, "Done?" Maleficent nodded, "I left some there because I know you like to use them as a dip like you're a child; even the times you don't like them." She gave the other woman a sad smile, "I wish I could feel the things I remember feeling. I remember everything, I think. I think I remember it all. I love you." She nodded, looking at the flames once more. "I really, really do."

"I know." Maleficent nodded.

"I'm not going to make you say sorry to them…" She pointed to the plate in front of them, "Not until I'm Briar Rose again at least."

"Why do you say that?"

"Say what?"

"Say that you will be Briar Rose again…?"

Aurora looked at her, "You haven't called me Briar Rose since they took my love from my chest."

"Your…" Gods be damned. Maleficent looked to the side as she felt the hot tears tinge the backs of her eyes and she swallowed the hard lump down, "Your heart, Aurora."

"My heart." Aurora nodded, "You haven't called me Briar Rose since they took my heart. You tell me that you want your Briar Rose back."

"I do not."

"You just did in the room with the big fluffy bed in there." She pointed to the bedroom.

"The bedroom." Maleficent looked down to her cider as she realized that everything Aurora was saying was true.

"The bedroom." Aurora nodded. "You did just say it in there…"

"I suppose I did." She drank what was left of her cider and poured herself another glass.

"Do you want me to go back inside?"

Maleficent stood up. She covered the fire pit, cutting off the life source to the flames and offered the other girl her hand, "Yes." She finally answered Aurora's question.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma was sitting in the desk chair, her axe at her feet. She'd skimmed over their plans and the entire book on Pure Ones that she'd never read before. It wasn't long and it was basic knowledge of Pure Ones with a nice, hefty section of torturing them. She wished she'd seen it in any of the libraries she'd been in. At least that way, she would have known what to expect. She shook her head. _They have really researched what to do to torture me and drain me…_

_What are you going to do?_ Eva looked to her granddaughter, waiting for a plan.

Emma shook her head with raised brows, _I don't know!... I think I'm going to take this book though._ She reached for her axe, stood and grabbed the book, turning it invisible as well. Judging by the magic ripple that made its way around the book, she gathered she did in fact make it invisible. _Cool…_ She looked up to her grandmother, _Want to go get that picture?_

Eva smiled, nodding and the two made their way back into the foyer of the chambers of the Dark One and his mistress, who were still going at in on their bed.

_Damn…Old Nasties have stamina, I've give them that… _Emma rolled her eyes at herself for thinking it in the first place, _I'm really, really sorry, Grandmother._

_Let's just get out of here._ Eva hid her bemused smile from her embarrassed granddaughter.

Emma grabbed the picture of her mom and grandmother, waited for it to do the ripple thing, then moved to the door that was still a smidge open. She opened it a little wider, just enough that she and Eva could slip out. When she turned into the hall, she found a big, brute of a guard staring at the door as if it were possessed.

"How the hell?" He stepped forward.

Emma, not knowing what else to do, used the flat of her axe, to smack him in the face, causing him to step back a few paces and moan, garnering the guards at either end of the hall's attentions.

"What's going on with you?" One of them asked.

"Something just hit me!" The first guard uncovered his face, "Is my nose broke?"

"Aye, that's disgusting. How the hell did you do that?"

"I was just closing the door…" They all paused and stared at the still open door, listening to the ruckus inside, dirty smiles garnering their faces.

_What a bunch of pigs…_ Emma thought as she hurried to the end of the hallway with her grandmother.

_Emma dear, didn't you accidentally think the same things they were?_

Emma gave her grandmother a look. _Well, that wasn't very nice._

_Maybe not, but it was the truth._ Eva gave her a cheeky grin.

_Aha! Now I know who the Dark One and Regina's mom can really blame for Regina's cheekiness._

Eva didn't comment, she merely changed the subject as they changed courses around the castle. _So, what are you going to do?_

_With what?_

_That book, and my picture…_

_I am going to find a secret hiding place, I'm thinking the dungeon, since it's the only place they know I'm not._ She gave her grandmother her own cheeky smile, _And I have a few more things I need to find before I execute my completely brilliant plan._

Eva stared at her granddaughter, reading her mind, _That is a completely brilliant plan._

~0~0~0~0~0~

Arely walked back over to the group. Hook stared at him in awe, "You got a mermaid to kiss you…"

"Aye." Arely nodded, giving the pirate an arrogant smile. He then turned to Regina. "They've agreed to take us to the entrance. Do you have a spell that will let us hold our breaths for a really, really long time?"

"No, but I've one that will give us gills. Is that alright with everyone?"

The group simply looked to everyone and shrugged, but Chip quickly raised his hand.

Regina smiled at him, "Yes, Chip?"

"My mother and myself… Will we be all right? Human, dog and temporary fish?"

"You won't be a fish. You'll just have gills. You and your mother will be fine." She placated the werewolf before she looked to Arely, "They're really going to direct us?"

"Aye." He nodded.

"Then, lets get in the water." She said as she walked the dock and sat on the end, sticking her boots in first.

"Why do you seek the bad man?" Cordelia asked as she resurfaced.

Regina gave her a questioning look, "How do you know it is me?"

"It was you who yelled at the gods." She said.

"It was you who _threatened_ the gods." One of her sisters corrected.

"Shh!" Cordelia shooed her sister and looked back to the Shadow Queen. "You look like his mistress."

"She is my mother." Regina gave the mermaid an evil look.

Cordelia was impressed with this woman, the daughter of the bad man's mistress, "Tell me, why are you going to take their lives? Why take your mother's life? That is what you're doing is it not?"

Regina nodded, "Because they took mine." She looked into the water, "For too long they've taken from me, and now they've taken Emma."

"Emma is your life?"

"Yes."

Cordelia smiled in realization, "Emma is your love."

"Yes."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma tightened her grip on her axe and squinted hard. She held her breath in concentration hoping she could figure it out.

"Emma?" Eva looked to her granddaughter, "You need to try something else… Holding your breath isn't working."

Emma let her breath out. "I don't know what else to do. And the quality of books our libraries have on Pure Ones are terrible." She looked to the undead woman blaming her.

"That's not my fault! I've been dead for thirty-two years!"

"Then you should have had stuff kept in the library! The last living Pure One died only thirty years ago… You should have had mountains since he was alive when you were alive!"

Eva crossed her arms. "Stop blaming other people. You are the Pure One. If the first of them had to figure it out by themselves, the first of the second generation will too."

Emma's teeth grit together and she picked her axe up, slamming it down in frustration.

"That was good. Do that again. They won't ever find out you're merely invisible when you slam large metal object against stone walls of a prison that seems to echo every which way…"

Emma's jaw was jut to the side as she looked at her grandmother, amusement in her eyes as she took the other woman in, "I really am a lot like you, grandmother."

"I know what your next words are going to be and I'm still taking that as a compliment."

"I am sassy, sarcastic, cheeky, and always right… Unless Regina is, then I'm wrong most times."

Eva grinned to her granddaughter, "Try to see through the wall again."

Emma nodded, she closed her eyes and let herself calm. She inhaled deeply and opened her eyes.

"Your eyes are doing the same thing they did before you turned yourself invisible."

"I know. I can feel it." She looked passed her grandmother and knit her brows, "We're underground…"

"Actually we're underground, under water."

Emma looked over to her grandmother, "They put their castle under the ocean floor?"

Eva shook her head, "A lake floor."

Emma rolled her eyes before looking through the interior walls, "I was wondering why no guard came rushing to the sound." She walked back up the stairs of the dungeon, she would start to call her guest room, and into the hall.

"No guard is out there?" Eva followed her.

"No, they just don't care about 'phantom noises' right now; they are all going up the stairs for some reason. I thought you already knew everything…" Emma glanced the other White royal's way.

"I know your thoughts. I can see your past and bits and pieces of your future, but not enough to make sense of."

"Good to know I'm getting out of this alive." Emma smiled.

"Why do you think I'm here, granddaughter?" Eva smiled back.

"To help me survive."

"Exactly." Eva narrowed her brows. "Why do you suppose the guards are going upstairs."

A siren started sounding, but only for a short note every few seconds.

"I'm sure that the thoroughly sexed Dark One and mistress Cora are going to line them up then go on some kind of killing spree or start beating them for letting me get away… And that is the calling siren."

Eva pushed the conversation along through the ever annoying siren, "That's uplifting and not at all revolting."

"It's the truth, grandmother." Emma shrugged, still ignoring the noise, "Either way, it gives me time to find the hearts I need."

Eva stared at the youngest White royal, "Why Briar Rose's and Maleficent's hearts?"

"Because if their love is as true as I believe it to be, then they deserve their hearts."

Eva smiled, "Good girl." She approved of her granddaughter's methods.

"Now…" Emma pursed her lips, "If I were a beating heart, where would I be?"

"In a chest."

Emma stopped walking and put her arms up as if calming down an imaginary crowd, "Thank you ladies and gentlemen, she'll be here all week." She looked to her grandmother sarcastically before starting once more looking through walls while she went.

"No really. She kept them in small chests. Like a pirate's chest but miniature. Well, big enough to fit a human heart."

"Were you supposed to tell me that?" Emma asked.

"I was never given any rules… I don't have a boss, I don't think. I mean, the gods are there as advisors, but if I go against their advice nothing happens…"

"Well if you do have a boss and you pissed them off, it's not my fault you didn't make me think and guess and debate with you as to why it would be right that the woman make the hearts' she's stolen resting places a giant pun."

Eva laughed despite the fact that it would not be the royal or goddess-esque thing to do, "Chests."

Emma smiled to her, "I wish you were still alive. I feel we would gang up on mom and I'd win more arguments than I usually do."

Eva nodded, "We definitely would."

Emma nodded with her grandmother before looking away from the other woman. Then as the siren finally stopped, she rolled her eyes, "Gods that was annoying." She stopped and stared into the room next to them, "Oh my gods there they are. In that room there."

"Neat. How do you get in?" She asked after looking for a door and coming up with nothing.

"I'm going to try to flash." She poofed away from a split second and came right back. "Damn it."

"I don't think you have that ability right now."

"But it's so simple… Why can't I flash, but I can be invisible and see through walls?"

"Because the gods like to make it challenging."

"Yes, because my life thus far hasn't been challenging enough. Especially what I was going through before they let the two idiots kidnap me, overpower me and torture me!" She looked up to the ceiling. "Oh, yeah! I'm talking to you! I swear when I get up there I'll—"

"Emma Louise Swan White." Eva said seriously, "Do not anger nor threaten the gods. Do you think they take kindly to that?"

Emma pursed her lips and rolled back and forth on her heels to the balls of her feet, "Probably not." She looked back up, "Sorry gods… I just… need a bit of a break here. Let me poof in there get their hearts and poof out this once?" Emma and Eva both waited a moment. "Should I try to poof?"

"Not yet."

"What? Oh right, you have a direct line to the gods even though you, yourself are unclassifiable as an undead being except to say that you are a spiritual being that comes from a higher plane."

"That about sums it up, yes, granddaughter." Eva gave her a cheeky smile.

Emma shook her head before looking away from her back into the room of hearts, "Just tell me when or if I can poof." Just after she finished speaking she saw two small chests emerge from the two opposite walls and float to the ground. She looked back up, "Thank you!" She looked at the ceiling again and poofed into the room of hearts, her grandmother choosing her own way of walking through the wall. "Cool! I wanna walk through walls!" She said as she materialized and watched her grandmother finish her trek into the room.

"One thing at a time, dear."

Emma nodded and bent down to pick up the chests sitting next to each other when a large thump echoed in the room. Both Eva and Emma jumped and turned at the sound. There was no one in there, but a book had fallen from a shelf and lay face down, opened in the middle.

Emma cautiously walked over and picked the book up by its back half, and read the spine, "The Hearts of Witches and Humans." Emma raised a brow and looked to the chests, then to her grandmother, then to the ceiling, back to her grand mother, back to the chests and back to the book title, "I suppose this is from them to me with love?" She flipped the book over, keeping it open to the pages it landed on. When she did this she saw that a chunk of he pages dog-eared halfway down the page as if marking a completely different part of the book.

"I'd say that's a pretty accurate guess."

Emma chuckled as she read the first full sentence on the page, "'If a witch is drained of her magic, has little or no heart, and has survived, she can get her magic back by putting her heart back in her chest.' Interesting." She fingered that page and flipped to the bent pages, "'A human or witch can materialize anywhere their heart is if a magical being holds the heart and says the spell below. This spell will work even in the strictest of magical shields.'" She smirked and looked up to the ceiling again, "Thank you."

**AN: Thoughts and feels? Aren't Maleficent and Aurora adorable? Please Read and Review!**


	20. Chapter 20

After everyone was in the water, Regina looked at the people that came with her. She looked at her new family. She looked to the mermaids and nodded her thanks before looking back to the others, "Now, after I put you under, you'll be able to breathe, but you won't be able to talk…"

She got a collective bout of nods from her crew and swam to each of them, put her thumbs vertically over their mouths, lining against their noses, and her four other fingers on either side of their neck. As soon as she felt the gills form on their necks, she would dunk them under the water's surface.

After she got everyone under, she took a large breath, pushed herself under and did the same thing to herself. When she opened her eyes, happy to be able to breathe again, she first saw her ever-brightening ring, then Cordelia smiling at her. The mermaid seemed to be glowing, casting off light to see everything under the water's surface. She glanced around to find that all of the mermaids and her crew were glowing in the same way.

"Let's get you to the bad man's castle." Cordelia offered the daughter of the bad man's mistress her hand.

After noticing that each of Cordelia's sisters held the hands of her entire crew, minus the Caspian Prince, she took the mermaid's hand. Cordelia then swam the two of them to the free-swimming Arely and took his hand with her free one.

Arely smiled bashfully at the mermaid before looking to the Shadow Queen with a sheepish shrug.

Cordelia led them all. The sisters, each with their royal, knight or advisor followed. Looking back to everyone else, Regina thought of them like a V of birds. It was actually beautiful with each of the sisters glowing the way they were.

She looked to the royals of the Enchanted West, each in a line, Chip was first, then Belle, then Red. Both Red's and Chip's eyes were glowing bright yellow along with their bodies. She could only imagine what was running through their minds. The trio though, swam silently and looked all too determined to only have thoughts of helping old flames and close friends.

Though as she looked to everyone else, they seemed to match the Westerner's determination. Even Arely's hard, thoughtful look caught her attention as she turned back to look forward again.

Cordelia swam at a steady pace, though it was a quick steady pace. She seemed to know or feel all of their distress and knew not to slow if possible. But, as they got to the deepest part of the lake, she slowed to a stop and stared at the large patch of only sand. There was no algae, no plant life of any kind. The fish even swam around the area. They'd passed a sunken boat or two, but nothing seemed to penetrate this circle.

Regina looked to Cordelia's scared features and back to the circle. She finally let go of Cordelia's hand and started swimming forth.

"Don't go!" Cordelia called, causing the queen to turn back around, "We'll take you back and understand that you can't bring us to the Caspian Sea… Don't go."

Regina bit her bottom lip as she looked at the fear-filled mermaid. And remembering she couldn't speak, she simply let her own features soften and she patted her chest.

Cordelia nodded after a moment or two of frustration with this other woman. She dropped Arely's hand and swam forth to join her. "It's a dome." She gestured to the circle, pointed above them both to show her just how large the thing actually was. The bubble could only be seen from certain angles and they were at one of the best ones., "If you touch it, you get shocked. Hard. Most fish die."

Regina looked to the mermaid and nodded as they got closer. She put her hand out and let an evil smirk take over her features. As her hand came in contact with the dome, a loud buzzing could be heard throughout the entire lake and it lit up a bright purple and grey color. Cordelia turned from her closing her eyes, scared of what this woman was trying to do. But when the buzzing stopped and the light was gone, she opened them again to see Regina getting pulled into the dome. As she got through the surface, she fell to the ground.

Regina pushed herself to a standing position after that fun surprise of learning the dome could in fact suck her in its airy center. She looked around and quickly looked as if she were gasping for air.

Cordelia, her sisters, the royals, knights and advisors swam to the domes edge, the temporarily mutated humans finally placing their feet on the ground around the dome, and watched on with fear as Regina covered the gills on her neck and let her magic flow through her.

Regina fell to her knees, then caught her upper body with her hands once she was able to breath again. She looked out of the dome to find everyone's eyes on her. She pointed to Cordelia as she walked over to her, "You and your sisters are not allowed to touch the bubble. It sucks you in." She put her hand against the surface, it felt like glass from this side. This made her narrow her brows, "And I don't know that there is a way back out unless I simply destroy it. Which I can't yet."

Cordelia nodded, "Sisters, back away." They all backed up a few feet.

Snow turned to the sister that pulled her along and waved. She unconsciously put her other hand on the dome's surface and felt it begin to magically pull her in. She looked back with fright. Regina was quick to notice and ran around the opposite side of the dome to her. As soon as the woman's head and neck were in the clear room, Regina did as she had before, placed her fingers on her throat and thumbs along her nose and mouth. She worked as fast as she could so that the White Queen would be able to breathe.

"It's okay, Your Majesty." Regina said, nodding, reassuring the scared royal.

"Oh, Regina…" Snow placed a hand on the other woman's face, "I think we're far passed the point of formalities. Call me Snow."

"Snow." Regina nodded.

They turned to find a still worried Charming, wanting to come in after her, but knowing better than to touch the dome. As soon as Snow locked eyes with him and smiled, he touched the dome, trying to bulldoze his way through. Regina took his face and neck, working quickly.

She did this with everyone, one at a time until they were all back to normal.

"Now what?" Artie asked as he looked around the bubble that seemed to be covering up nothing.

Regina shook her head, "I don't know. The entrance has to be somewhere…"

Arely turned to see if the mermaids were still outside, and when he saw them all seemingly waiting for them, he looked to Cordelia, "Cordelia?"

She swam a little closer, but not near as close as she had been before.

"Do you know where the entrance is?"

She tilted her head confused, "You're standing on it."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Maleficent stood from the wicker swing, quickly followed by Aurora. She nudged her princess in front of her, dropping her hand after they got inside. She shut the door to the balcony and leaned against it a moment trying to push down the millions of feelings running through her body. Aurora hadn't spoken to her like that since Rumple and Cora took her heart. It was as if she were almost normal. She could tell that the girl remembered how she felt, and desperately wanted to feel that way again.

And as she looked into her princess's wide, open, blue eyes, she saw the recognition and the want. And she was much too weak to tell herself that it wasn't going to be real if she dared try anything. She tried to tell herself that Cora was probably waiting for her to give in, that she was waiting for the perfect moment to show them both just how little control they had over their lives.

She sighed, still leaning against the door away from the princess, trying to tell herself to put the other girl in the living room and stay locked away in her own. Then she felt warmth behind her and saw a hand reach its way to the door handle, locking it.

"You look at me with lust." Aurora's voice whispered behind her. "I've reminded you of her tonight."

Maleficent swallowed her surprise and turned, looking into those eyes again, "You have." She confirmed, hoping the interaction would continue, praying it would stop.

"Why do you not act on it? I still remember everything about you."

"You can't feel it. There's no point if you can't feel it."

"Maybe I will."

"You won't, Aurora. Your heart was ripped from your chest. It's kept in a box, gods know where, and it's used to torture us both!" The blonde pushed passed the princess and started for her bathroom.

Aurora grabbed the magicless witch's wrist, spinning her back to face her. She said nothing, but watched Maleficent's every reaction as she closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against the blonde's. A gasp came from Maleficent as she let the auburn-haired girl deepen the kiss. It was when Aurora's hands wrapped around her, one on her waist, the other in her hair, that the tears came again.

Aurora pulled back, "You're leaking—crying again." She tried to wipe them away, "It doesn't stop… Why doesn't the water stop like it did before? It stopped before."

Maleficent pulled completely and moved to her bed, "Please…" She begged, but she didn't know what she was begging for.

"I don't like this. Seeing you. You're sad. I should fix it. How can I fix it? I'm the one that can fix it… I think I did it once before. Made you happy. I can do it again. I think I can." The girl sat at the foot of the bed, on the complete opposite side Maleficent was on, "Do you think I can?"

Maleficent inhaled a ragged breath, picked up her head from the balled position she'd put herself in, and looked down from the head of the bed. "I think that you don't function well without your heart."

"Without my love." Aurora nodded. "My body needs you, I think. It needs to hold your hand, sleep next to you, hug you, stop you from being so evil. I think it needs to love you. My brain does too. That's why I think I brought you the potatoes. My brain wanted to fight over them."

"We didn't fight over them."

"I know… My heart wasn't in it." She looked down, a hint of sadness in her as she realized her pun, "I guess I'm funny sometimes." She looked back up, "I'm really happy that you're alive, I think. If I killed you and somehow got my heart…"

"It wasn't you." Maleficent sat up, "I know it wasn't. I watched you as you did it; even heartless you tried to resist them. You still try to resist them."

"I think I might want you to marry me when I get my heart back."

Maleficent nodded, "We will."

Aurora gave the other woman a smile. And with a blink of an eye she was gone, a small puff of smoke in her wake.

Maleficent stared at the smoke, tears resurfacing. She didn't know what was happening, but she knew that it couldn't be good. She covered her mouth as the cry erupted and hugged her legs tight, staring where her love's body had been sitting.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Aurora blinked as she took in her new surroundings. "This… this isn't where I was. I was with Phyllipina. She doesn't like it when I call her that so I didn't, but I was with her. Now, I'm here. I'm not sure I like this place. It smells like them. It smells evil."

"Aurora." Emma cautiously came into her view, the girl's heart still in her hand.

Aurora did not see Emma, but the heart, she scrambled away, utterly terrified, "My heart's already gone! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!"

"Aurora, listen to me." Emma tried.

"Please, let me go back! Please! Leave me alone! I don't have anything left!"

"BRIAR ROSE!" Emma yelled over the girl that already seemed to be making a little more sense than she had when they first met.

Aurora stopped talking and looked to her, "You're so bright." She squinted away.

Emma smiled, "Yeah, I'm the good guy, remember?"

Aurora nodded.

Emma got closer to her, "I found your heart—the gods helped me…" She looked to the ceiling, letting them know that she did know to give them credit, "Would you like it back?"

Aurora stared at the heart in Emma's hands. She nodded vigorously, "Yes. Phyllipina will be happy. Is she coming?"

"As soon as I can get her here." Emma nodded as she knelt before the Morpheus Princess and put her heart back where it belonged. She waited a moment, hoping that they hadn't poisoned it again and when Aurora only smiled, she gave one in return and moved away from her.

"Emma… Maleficent isn't bad. She's really good. Please don't hurt her." Aurora pleaded as she watched Emma pick up the half of a heart in a small chest at the center of the room.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Emma gave her a reassuring look. "I need you to stay quiet a few minutes after she comes. I need to talk with her."

"Okay." Aurora nodded. She looked next to Emma, "You're Eva." She said simply.

Eva and Emma looked to each other before looking back to Belle, "I am."

"How did you know that? How can you even see her?" Emma asked.

Eva tilted her head, "All the magical torture they've been putting on her heart… it's given her a third eye."

"That could be useful…" Emma said before turning back to the heart in her hands, muttering something unintelligible.

Maleficent materialized in front of the White Princess, wide, wet eyes and unusually sad, tame hair.

Emma gave a sad half smile before putting on a game face, "Okay, I have a bargain for you…" Maleficent stared at the girl confused, "I put this back in your chest, you get your powers and your princess back. And I'll let you help me with the Dark One and Cora."

It took no time before an evil smirk graced Maleficent's face. Emma, as delicately as possible, shoved the woman's half a heart in with the other half. Before withdrawing her hand, she looked up, "Is it in there right? Do I need to turn it?"

Maleficent bit her lip and closed her eyes in discomfort, "A little clockwise. There." Once Emma's hand was gone, Maleficent's eyes opened up again and black, purple and grey swirls lit her eyes.

"Grandmother Eva, is that the eye thing?" Emma asked, still staring at the witch before her.

"Yes, but yours were the colors of the Pure Ones."

Maleficent's magic over took her and she quickly changed form into a dragon taking up most of the room. Aurora had to duck and hide to avoid her tail and Eva and Emma simply watched her face as she grew. After a few snaps and a long breath of fire, she shrank back to size. Her eyes were made up to look fierce and dark, her hair frizzy and voluminous, and her horned crown was back on her head. She'd also given herself a wardrobe change from her silk robe and pajamas to one of her fiercest dresses. She stretched her neck once human again and smiled a regal, evil smile, "Oh, how good it feels to be whole." She looked to the other blonde, "Where is she?"

Emma glanced behind her and nodded her head to the other princess in the room.

Maleficent turned to find Aurora still keeping safe distance, hiding behind a shelf of hearts. Once their eyes locked, all bets were off, "Briar Rose?"

"Phyl." Aurora breathed out. Her legs bolted into a sprint when she saw Maleficent step a few paces her way. "Phyl!" She wrapped her arms around the other woman's neck tight. "Phyllipina." She whispered again.

"I've missed you, Briar Rose."

Aurora pulled back and gave her a look, telling her all of her feelings on the matter of hearing the nickname come from the woman's lips again.

As Emma watched their lips meet, all she could think of was Regina. "Damn, I want Regina…"

Eva looked to her granddaughter, "You've a mind for only one thing."

"Nuh uh… I also like food." Emma gave the woman a cheeky smile.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"What do you mean 'She's gone?!'" Cora glared at the doctor as she paced back and forth.

"I mean she's not there. Igor said he watched her—!"

"_Igor _said…?" Cora looked to the man next to the doctor. She flashed forward and took his heart from his chest, and crushed it to dust, "Tell me, what else did he say?"

"Nothing, Madam. He was the one that got to the room first after the axe—!"

"The axe?" Rumple finally interrupted.

"Yes, the one that came through with you. The one stuck in the wall that even you both couldn't pull." Both Rumple and Cora gave him a warning look, which made the scared doctor flinch hard, "Something seemed to possess it. It pulled from the wall on its own and flew down the hallways, chopping through any shut door in its way. It obliterated the prison door. Igor was the first there and he watched the Pure One grab the axe and then she vanished."

Rumple got up from their living room and moved to his study. He looked all over his desk and then to the bookcase. Cora and Frankenstein watching everything, "Darling?" Cora asked from the doorway.

Rumple, now frustrated flipped the desk on its side, and kicked at one of the legs until it broke. He glared around the room, trying to see if anything else was out of place.

Cora tried for his attention again, "Rumple!"

"What?!" He spat her way.

"What is going on?"

"She's been in here."

"What?" Her tone now laced with malice.

"She's BEEN IN HERE! She took the book!"

"The book?" Frankenstein asked.

"Yes, the book! The most up to date, complete history of Pure Ones. How they die, who they were, why they came to be! It was all in there! And now, it's not on my desk."

Cora put her hands on her hips and turned going into the foyer of their quarters. She did a double take as she looked at the top of the chest of drawers. "The photograph." She let the words fall from her lips.

It was in this moment that a pounding sounded on the door. "What?!" Rumple opened it.

"The magic in the dome of top tower… It's stopped working. I've confirmation that we've been breached."

"When?" Rumple glared at the guard that delivered the news.

"Just confirmed now, everyone was on Red Alert. The sirens sounded." He took a breath and looked down, "But… there's more…"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Regina knelt down and brushed the sand back and forth getting deeper until she revealed metal. She wiped her hand in the air and all the sand in the dome was gone.

Chip inhaled, "There's someone down there."

"Yes. Emma. And my mother. And the dark one." Regina deadpanned.

"No…" Chip said as he drew his sword, "Someone just below. Waiting."

Regina pursed her lips, "Super." She looked at everyone, "Ready to go to battle?"

Everyone drew their weapons.

The Genie walked over to her and touched her shoulders, "I don't want you to get tired. Allow me." He pointed to the door, "Everyone? Please, to one side."

Everyone quickly moved to the side that the Genie and Regina were on. And the Genie then used his magic to pull the door open and throw it to a side of the dome.

Beneath the giant door, there was a ladder wrapping around the entire circle. Regina, Charming, Snow, and the advisors, who pushed the princes and knights out of their way, ducked in first, followed by the queens, princes and knights.

They all turned to find that they were on a platform with seven more stairs that circled it like a stage. As they made their way to the stairs, they looked up to see about 20 guards waiting for them. Chip and Arely sheathed their swords as they looked to each other then pushed to the front of the pack and slowly made their way down the stairs.

"Is the thing not today?" Arely asked the guards who gave him a confused look.

"I could have sworn the thing was definitely today…" Chip nodded.

"I'd have placed money on the thing being today." Gustave stepped forward.

"It was definitely today." Artie did as well.

"Yes, why else would we be here if it weren't for the thing?" Alexander stepped forward with Patrick and Dunstan.

"Tell me, were signals crossed? Did you think the thing tomorrow?" Dunstan asked them.

"What… 'thing'?" The guard at the front asked.

"The thing, the thing! You know…" Chip turned from them and faced the other royals and advisors, his eyes flashed yellow, his head jerked back and forth as he wolfed out, and he gave them all a wolf-like grin. "The thing!" He turned back around revealing his face.

The guard threw his axe without hesitating. Any normal person wouldn't have had the reflexes to dodge it, but Chip was no normal person. He was a wolf. And he was wolfed out. "Oh, now…" He chuckled, "Don't be like that." He took his sword and knife from his belt and threw them on the ground. He put his hands up showing he had no more weapons, "Let's make a deal. You guys let me and family and friends pass, and I'll not kill every single one of you." He finished with a serious tone and a cross of his arms.

"Chip don't be foolish!" Belle cried from where she stood.

Arely walked over to him and turned his back to the men, "She's right, man." He said.

Chip looked to him, "Get back with the rest of them." He told everyone the other princes and knights, "Genie?"

"Yes, your majesty?"

"Might you make a shield around that platform protecting you all from any… flying objects?"

"I can, but I don't think that wise."

"Oh, I do." The main guard said, "If you want to live." He started walking toward the huddle, but Chip was faster.

"Genie! Now, please!" he still managed to be polite as he pretended to struggle against the brute.

"Yes, your majesty!" He quickly threw his hands up, magicking a shield that made its way around the half circle, wall to wall, floor to ceiling.

"Thank you." He smirked before turning back to the guard, "You're going to wish you'd taken me up on my offer…"

~0~0~0~0~0~

"It seems that one of them killed 20 of our men in a mere 4 minutes." The guard looked to Cora and Rumple, "And he's at least 10 more with him. I ordered the men to retreat—"

"You _ordered_ them to retreat?" Rumple stared at the guard before him.

"Only because he—"

Cora looked at the guard confused, "He?"

"Aye, the beast. That's what they've started calling him. He's human and animal."

Rumple nodded once, "Tell me, do you know. Was the Shadow Queen _with_ him?"

"Aye, the Shadow Queen, the White Royals… and more."

"Darling, she trained her wolf competitor." Cora ran the material of her dress through her fingers.

"That's no good for us."

"No good at all." Cora shook her head demurely. She was quick with her movements, yanking the guard's heart from his chest, "Retreating during a threat?" She shook her head before squeezing, the guard falling to the floor.

She looked to Rumple, "Honestly, darling why do we have guards when we have to do all the work?" She pushed the dead guard out of her way before turning back to the two men in the room.

She zeroed in on Frankenstein, "If you cross me, irritate me or do something wrong again, this happens to you." She glared, "Find the White Princess!" She yelled at the doctor, who quickly ran from the quarters of the dark one and apparently the darker one. She then looked to her lover, "We're going to split up and find my daughter." Her tone was nothing if not evil.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Chip had wolfed out completely and as he became human again, he wiped his mouth. He turned to pick up the clothes he'd shed whilst turning full wolf. He'd never been modest a day in his life, but as he felt stares on his body he looked up while pulling his pants on, "What?"

"Nothing!" came a collective response.

Snow turned to Regina, not caring that Patrick and Alexander were beside them, "Don't you wish, just a little bit that you'd seen him before my daughter? I mean good gods…"

Regina's eyes widened a little bit and she slowly turned her head, "I don't think that's the most appropriate thing to say right now…" She tried to be a bigger person, but couldn't, "Maybe just a little bit, yes."

Alexander leaned in to Snow and Regina, "Me too."

Patrick gave an exaggerated cough.

"Oh, like you don't?" He looked to his love.

"You can take the barrier down. I don't hear anymore coming up, they've retreated to form a new plan, no doubt." He looked to the four off to the side of everyone else with a bright blush to his features and gave them his best cheeky smile.

Red though, walked over to them as they started to disburse. "Snow!" She hissed.

Snow turned, "Yes, Red?"

Red looked to Regina who had turned to her as well, "That is my _son_." She gave her a disgusted look.

Regina chuckled, "You and Belle did very well."

Snow simply nodded along, "Job well done."

"That is… disgusting!"

"Is it? Thinking the second generation of an ex is attractive is disgusting?"

"Yes!"

"What do you think about Emma?"

"She's lovely."

"You don't think she's sexy?" Regina looked to the woman offended.

"No, _of course_ she's sexy—"

"Oh, but that's disgusting." Snow gave the other queen a wicked smile.

Belle and Chip walked over to them, Chip having embarrassingly been forced to give his mother the full story, "Ladies?" She looked to them. "We're in the same building as the White Princess. Should we look for her or just stay here and say, 'Well, we tried… but we got distracted talking about Chip' when the rest of the guards or heavens forbid Cora and the Dark one come in and kill us all?"

Regina shook her head, no you're right, "Let's split up into pairs."

The pairings were, for the most part, predictable: Graham and Hook, Pinocchio and Jefferson, Red and Belle, Arely and Chip, Alexander and Patrick. After that is where it got a little strange: Bae and Artie paired and Dunstan and Gustave paired.

The Genie aligned himself with Charming and Snow making a group. Charming looked at him in question. "I have magic. I know that my queen would rather I make the pairings uneven and do my best to protect you two than do… anything else."

Everyone seemed to understand his reasoning, until they all realized that that left Regina with no one.

"Who are you going with?" Red asked seriously.

"I'll be fine."

"No." Chip said in a no-nonsense tone.

"You will come with Chip and myself."

Regina looked to the two princes and finally gave in. "Alright. I will go with Arely and Chip." She stood at the doorway, "As soon as you get into or hear trouble, come running. We need to do our best to keep each other alive."

"Good pep talk, Regina." Charming came forth and put a hand on her shoulder, "Next time, I'd use the word 'if'. 'If you get into trouble…'"

"But it's a guarantee that something is going to happen…" Regina said seriously.

Charming debated this a moment, "Nevertheless… It's nice for your people to think they've got a chance."

Regina nodded, she turned to everyone, "We've got a chance. That's why I let you all come along. But I still think one or all pairs are going to get into trouble." She turned to Chip and Arely, "Let's go." She made her way out of the top tower.

Charming chuckled despite the situation, "Let's go." He looked to his wife, who was wearing the same grin.

**AN: Hope you all enjoyed! I myself am still loving Aurora and Maleficent. And also the broship developing with Snow and Regina… **

**Please read and review! Thought's and feels?**


	21. Chapter 21

"It's kind of eerie, isn't it?" Artie looked at Balefire as they made their way down an empty, random corridor.

"I suppose so." Baelfire looked around at the empty, dark hallway.

Artie gave the other man a moment before he was already over the small talk, "Why did you ask me to partner with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You asked me to partner with you… Why?"

"Because I see myself in you."

Artie raised a brow, "You see me in you? Dude, we're completely different."

"Yes, but you've become like a little brother to Emma. Even more so than Chip though the both of them may never know that."

"Okay…?" Artie knit his brows and looked at the other man.

Bae rolled his eyes, "I've been noticing things about the contenders, taking comparisons into account. You and—you're like me and Regina. You're the brother. You're always going to protect her, you're going to tease her, and you're going to love her unconditionally because… you just are."

They kept walking as Bae continued, "Chip is like Graham. He's quiet most of the time but when he speaks, it's always with purpose, and it's usually with surprisingly sound logic. Graham thinks of himself as Regina's protector, though he's never stated that fact aloud, it's easy to see. I assume the same goes for Chip?"

"Yeah… Dude, that's kind of cool."

"That's not all." Bae gave the Prince a smirk, "Arely."

"You mean, Hook."

Bae chuckled, "Yes. They boast of conquests and ooze sex and sex appeal. Arely is still in the stage of actually needing to conquer every pretty woman he sees, but soon that will change. He will fall in love, and that love might fail in some way. For Hook, she was murdered in front of him."

"Oh.." Artie looked down.

"He'd broken completely. He let his lust for revenge blind him of everything else. Until Regina set him straight. She found him drunk, washed up, ironically to the Caspian shore when he was on a visit. His ship had taken a beating as he had crashed it into a few rocks. His crew abandoned him, and he… Well, he still had a few bottles of rum." Bae took a breath, "She told him he had two options. He could clean up, sober up and come work for him, or he could continue on the spiral he was on and more than likely die before the year's end."

"Why did he choose to be and advisor?"

"Because he knew that Regina wanted… wants to punish my father as much as the rest of us."

Artie looked at Bae with wide eyes, "Your father?"

"The Dark One."

Artie had never been positive of that fact. He'd heard the others talk, but he wasn't sure he could believe it until he heard it from Bae's lips. And now that he did, all he could manage was, "That sucks."

"That why Regina had her father adopt me?" Bae smiled.

Artie nodded, going along with it, "Who else?"

"Patrick and Alexander."

"Who are they supposed to be?"

"Pinocchio and Jefferson."

"Pinocchio and Jefferson are lovers?"

"Good gods no." Bae shook his head, "They sure bicker like lovers though. No, I'd call them soul mates, but they would never fall in lust with each other."

"Patrick and Alexander are in lust, in love the whole thing. And they don't bicker…"

"They would if they weren't trying so desperately to hide their relationship. No, if they didn't have to hide, you would see a lot of similarities between the four of them. In a way, Jefferson and Pinocchio's relationship is a lot more delicate than that of 'forbidden' love."

"That… is bogus. I highly doubt that hanging out with your best friend to the point that you can't get a girl is less hard than not being able to publically say, 'I love this man. I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him.' In a world that technically still states that Alexander's life could be taken from him merely because he's a royal."

Bae pursed his lips, "Point taken."

"Can I ask a question about Jefferson?"

"Grace?"

"Yeah…"

"Pinocchio had known Jefferson since they were small boys. Regina had known Jefferson a while as well. Jefferson had grown poor, he wasn't able to provide for his wife anymore. Then they learned that she was pregnant. Pinocchio came to Regina and Regina offered him the job he has now. He took it, happy to uproot his wife so they could stay in the castle… Then she went into premature labor." Bae bit his lip a moment, "She died, but the baby _miraculously_ survived."

"Regina?"

Bae nodded, "Regina had been off dealing with Maleficent for this reason or that. She came home and heard that one had died and the other was hanging on by a thread. She did what she could to not let him completely break. And Pinocchio does what he can to help and not let Jefferson's mind run too far away."

"What about Dunstan and Gustave?" Artie asked after a silence took over.

"They are both like the Genie, but neither of them have magic."

"How so?"

"The Genie has been around a long time. He's seen things, knows a great many things. He likes to do research to know what we deal with."

"Dunstan knew the ancient symbols of the evils. He's also never been to an underground club… he probably hung out researching. He's really smart."

Bae nodded, "The Genie is fiercely loyal, and when he first met Regina, when she first released him, he thought he'd fallen in love with her. He took things a little too far—I thought I was going to have to trap him in the lamp again, but after he admitted, realized what he'd done… He's been the Genie that we all depend on."

"Gustave tried to get frisky with Regina… I don't think Emma's going to forgive him for that any time soon."

"No, probably not. But Gustave is one of the greatest knights in our realms because of his loyalty to his king and queen, his loyalty to a situation. He chose to stay through the competition after getting kicked off because he didn't know if he was going to be needed, and he wasn't going to walk away from a fight. And then we did need him…"

"Emma's still pissed at him." Artie laughed.

"You're not wrong." Bae chuckled as well.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"What are you angry about?" Patrick asked as he and Alexander walked along one of the top floors of the castle.

"I'm not angry."

"You are."

Alexander shook his head, "It's not the time."

"Well, let's make it the time." Patrick stopped walking sheathed his sword and crossed his arms, staring at his prince.

Alexander inhaled and sighed, "No. We're in… in mortal danger now. I'm not… I'm…"

"You're jealous. You wish it to be us instead of the Shadow Queen and White Princess."

"Of course not—!"

"No. Don't lie to me. You wish that you were the Shadow Queen, all broken and fierce, and that I was the White Princess, all unruly and in love and healing. You wish that you were the one searching for me to come save me from the Dark One and Cora and that I was the one probably about half-dead at this point."

"I DO NOT!" Alexander pushed him hard, "I would never wish for you to be half-dead! Take it back!"

"You might want to believe that you wouldn't, but you do." Patrick stared at him, letting Alexander get riled. He let out a laugh when Alexander pushed him again.

"But I don't! Take it back! And stop." He gave his lover another push, "Laughing." Another push, "At." Another push, "Me." This time when he pushed Patrick, the knight hit the wall.

Patrick still let out a snicker, and Alexander pushed him once more, trying to show just how serious he was. Patrick took in the heated features of his lover and he stopped finally, his amusement gone. Alexander put his hand to Patrick's chest plate and pushed once more for effect, but Patrick just placed his hand over the prince's and held it there. After locking eyes, Patrick whispered out, "This is oddly familiar."

"What, you don't remember the night we met?" Alexander tried to pull his hand away, but Patrick held firm.

"No, of course I remember the night we met." The knight whispered as he leaned his head back against the wall, "You, for some reason had traveled all the down to my neck of the woods. You were hiding your royal signs, hiding from everyone that came close to you." The knight grinned at his prince, "You cowered from the girls that flirted with you and sipped on a grand total of one pint the whole night."

"You had had more than enough that night though." Alexander leaned into his knight.

"I had." Patrick nodded, "So much so, that I thought I was seeing things as I stared at you whilst playing darts. I thought I had seen you give a knight a double take. Then I thought I had seen you look at one of the local men with a wandering eye. That gave me all the courage I needed to go mess with you."

"You made me so mad." Alexander shook his head. "I was so embarrassed. So angry."

Patrick nodded, "I know." He stared at the prince, "I walked over to you and asked you out, loud enough for a couple other people to hear. You shot me down, I didn't let up. You paid your tab and walked out. I downed another beer and decided I'd made fool enough of myself and walked out too." He took a breath, tapping Alexander's hand with his index finger in a familiar beat as he recalled what happened next, "I didn't think you would be sitting just outside though… And I certainly didn't expect to get slapped in the face as soon as the door shut behind me."

"No, I'll bet you didn't." Alexander smiled.

"And then you continued to push me into the alley, against the wall, telling me that I was a knight and I shouldn't say such things whilst wearing my king and queen's signs. And even if I wasn't, you would never date me because you wouldn't associate yourself with drunken scum like me." Patrick took a breath, "And then I saw _your_ signs."

"And you flipped me around, pushing me into the wall…"

Patrick pushed from the wall and reversed their positions, putting the hand that wasn't holding Alexander's to his chest against the wall as well, "Like this?"

"Yes, exactly like that." Alexander nodded, "And you told me that I had a choice. That I could go with you that night and live with my heart for a change, or I could walk away and never find love." The prince looked down as he swallowed the lump forming in his throat, "You said that I'd captured you when I walked in that night and you hadn't taken your eyes off me. You said that you did believe in love at first sight and that you had fallen. And you said that even if I believed I could find love elsewhere, and even if I succeeded, it wouldn't be like the love you could give me."

"I did say all of those things… I was drunk and desperate and Cupid's bow had hit me dead-on."

"And I believed you." Alexander whispered, "I let you take me to your place. And we started our pathetic love affair."

Patrick ducked his head, "We're not pathetic."

"We'll never be able to marry." Alexander let his eyes fill with tears.

"We will."

"When? When we're so old it won't matter anymore?"

"I think it will be a lot sooner than that. I think that when we get out of here, Regina and Emma will change their countries' laws. I think that it will—that this entire ordeal will provoke the other kingdoms not to worry about the old ways and focus on the new. I think that I will marry you, Prince Alexander, in the next five years."

"Five years? Really?"

"Well, you'll need four to plan the perfect wedding…" Patrick gave his lover a grin and received another shove in response, but he didn't move. No, instead he pushed closer and pressed his lips against his prince's.

"No! That is completely ridiculous!" A voice said as it came closer. Alexander and Patrick didn't hear it though.

"Of course it's not, Pinocchio… Baelfire's made excellent ties between all of us and the contestants. You should hear his theories."

"Then why, Jefferson, are we Alexander and Patrick? We don't, you know…" They both stopped to see the pair they were discussing in a heated kiss, "Well, we don't that…"

"No… No we don't. Aren't we happy about that?" Jefferson's tone matched that of Pinocchio's plain, monotone during shock.

As Alexander moaned, both Jefferson and Pinocchio's brows shot up. They looked to each other, "What do we do?" Pinocchio asked.

"'What do we do?'" Jefferson looked at his best friend, "What do you mean, 'What do we do?'"

"Well, do we walk away, or let them know we saw them in their dirty, dirty, inappropriate make-out session?"

Jefferson's brows knit and his lips pursed in thought, "That… is a very good question, old friend." He thought more, "Obviously, they will be needed once we find all the guards or heaven's forbid, Cora and the Dark One first."

"Yes… so… We need to break them up." Pinocchio stated.

Jefferson turned from the couple, facing the opposite direction, "If we're doing this, we're going to give them the respect of pretending that we didn't see much."

"Right, good thinking." Pinocchio turned around as well. Then nothing happened, "How, do you suppose, we get their attention?"

"Uh… make noise?" Jefferson asked.

They shrugged, drew their swords and slapped them together a few times thinking they would hear the clanking of swords and hop to it. They turned to find that the couple's position hadn't changed.

"Damn." Pinocchio said.

"I know! When they go at it, they really give it their all!"

"No!" Pinocchio gave his friend a look then thought a moment, "Well, yes.. but… Now what do we do?" He watched Jefferson stretch his arm out with his sword and look back to him, "Drop it? The loud clatter against the concrete ground? Okay." He followed suit, and they dropped their swords.

And nothing happened.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Gustave's voice echoed down the hall as he and Dunstan quickly ran their way, "What are you doing?! Dunstan and I heard the sounds of swords all the way up the stairs! We came running! And you two are just… playing around?"

The two advisors looked to the prince and the knight, "We're trying to politely bring the lovebirds to…" Jefferson said, "Though, I'm starting to believe it impossible."

"Yes, I agree. Honestly who can ignore everything like that and be so immersed in another person?"

Gustave shook his head, "A couple in love. A couple that never gets moments like that. A couple that deserves forever like that." He hung his head as he walked over to the couple in question and tapped Patrick's shoulder. "Look alive brother, you've drawn a crowd."

~0~0~0~0~0~

"I'm just saying that you seemed awful jealous of Arely." Graham hid his amusement by adjusting his bow and quiver as he and Hook walked a random hall not taken by the other pairings

"For what? Almost getting himself killed?" Hook walked, playing with is sword in his good hand.

"Well…" Graham turned back to his friend, "Yeah."

"Hardly."

"Completely. Are you really so pathetic that you're jealous of a boy?"

Hook glared to his friend, "He kissed a mermaid and lived to tell about it! Do you know how rare that is?"

"I'm sure it's as rare as a crocodile biting a captain's hand off."

"Don't start with that."

"I'm saying that you need to think about your jealousy. A kiss from a mermaid is nothing in comparison to a kiss from your Milah had to have been." Graham spoke seriously, "Don't be jealous of Arely. For one, jealousy does not suit you, brother. And for another, he's a child. And for a third, you've had _love_. Real, actual, go-to-the-ends-of-every-world-together love. You of all people shouldn't be jealous of a kiss."

Hook looked down. He scraped his sword along the wall a moment, "I suppose you're right, Huntsman." He nodded once, dismissing the subject. "So tell me… The bar maiden."

"What bar maiden?" Graham looked around, praying that a fleet of guards would come their way.

"You know which one. The one at that lowly bar you always drag me to. What's her name again? Emerald? Sapphire? Diamond?"

"Ruby."

"Ruby! That's it." Hook nodded with a mischievous smile on his face, "Yes… she's quite the little looker."

"Shut it."

"Seriously. She looks about like Queen Red, don't you think?"

"She looks nothing like Queen Red—"

"She's the spitting image!"

Graham had had enough of Hook's barely there taunting, "Okay, fine. She looks a bit like Queen Red. Why the hell does that matter?"

"It doesn't…" Hook looked off, pursing her lips, "Except that you've always seemed overly fond of Queen Red—"

"I was never overly fond of—Why the hell?—What? No!" Graham stopped walking, looking at the other man, "I said that I felt a connection with her one time, one _drunken_ time and you still, to this day, hold it over me. I never felt romantically towards Queen Red. It's… I have a connection with wolves."

"Is that why you've secretly wanted Chip to win over Emma this whole competition?"

"Like you didn't secretly want Arely to chum around with!"

Hook raised his arms in surrender, "You got me."

Graham shook his head and looked down taking a breath, "Emma could have won this thing blinded and with one hand tied behind her back."

"Rightfully so."

"And I don't love Ruby because she looks like Queen Red."

Hook paused, staring at his friend, "No." He shook his head; he didn't comment on the fact that Graham admitted he loved the bar maid, "Of course not."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Maleficent turned back to Emma, "So… What's your—Eva." She said after seeing the dead White Queen.

"Hello, Phyllipina." Eva folded her hands together and let them drop to her waist.

Emma looked from her grandmother to Maleficent, "Oh my gods." She covered her mouth, gagging commencing as thoughts of the two of them ran through her head. The two of them together.

"No." Eva put her hand on her granddaughter's shoulder. "That is not how we know each other."

"You two didn't…?" Emma looked to the other woman in question.

"Oh, no!" Maleficent shuddered at the thought of her and Eva together. "No, dear. We were never together." She said stating it explicitly, "No, we simply have a history."

"That being?" Emma looked between them.

"We… Well… We um…" Eva tried.

Maleficent took over, "It's… We…"

"They're half-sisters. They've the same father. He left Maleficent's mother for Eva's, but the babes were born in the same month" Aurora finally stated for the group.

"Briar Rose…" Maleficent looked at her love, "How do you know that?"

"Eva said I've a third eye. I think she's right."

"Okay, so… Maleficent is my great-half-aunt. And she's all evil because her father, my great-grandfather is, I'm sorry, but an asshole that couldn't keep it in his pants." Emma nodded, "I can accept that." She looked to her grandmother, "Why am I not concerned with the age difference between Aurora and her?"

"Maleficent's stopped her biological clock. She didn't want to age again until she found her true love. It didn't happen early like it seems to for everyone else. So, at 30, she stopped herself from aging."

"How many years has she been thirty?"

"About 28 years." Aurora said, taking Maleficent's arm and hugging it, "The year that she heard Cora killed Eva, she realized that she hadn't lived like she'd seen life could be lived, and she stopped time until she could."

Emma gave a nod of acceptance as she looked to Maleficent, "Question. Why go after Aurora's mother?"

"I never went after her mother."

"But you said that—"

"I said that I threatened a sleeping curse on her mother. I never did anything."

"Why?"

"My parents wouldn't let me out of my tower. They were trying to protect me from Phyllipina. They put a shield around it so that she couldn't visit. Phyllipina over-reacted."

"It got the job done." Maleficent said, taking Aurora's hand.

"Yes, but we really need to discuss your communication skills." Aurora nodded, squeezing her hand.

Emma clutched her stomach before grabbing her axe and turned for the door.

"What is it?" Maleficent asked.

Aurora and Eva were both smiling when Emma turned back around.

"She's here." Emma only grinned back before running out of the room.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Regina's strut turned into a catwalk. With each step she walked with more purpose. Chip and Arely were close behind.

"Do you think she _knows_ where she's going?" Arely whispered as they kept enough of a distance for the Shadow Queen to not feel overcrowded.

Chip looked to the other prince and nodded, "She knows."

"How does she know?"

"She's in her mother's house. She probably knows just where she would put her."

"Really?"

"No you dimwit. She's in love. She wasn't lying before, trying to convince us all to come with her. She can _feel_ her."

"But you can smell her… You know her scent, right? You've been around her enough?"

Chip nodded, "I have."

Arely caught the grave eyes of the other prince, "You don't smell her?"

Regina turned around with scared, worried eyes, "You don't smell her?!"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma heard the words all the way down the hall. She squeezed her axe and closed her eyes concentrating a moment before looking down to see her hands and body ripple. "Can you hold this a moment, Aurora?" She handed the axe to Maleficent—she just said a name, it was going to the closest person to her; that happened to be the witch that lived on the Forbidden Mountain instead of the Princess with the nickname of Briar Rose.

"Uh. Sure." Maleficent said as she held onto it. She looked to her half-sister first then to her lover. "This would make an excellent staff."

"Don't even think about it." Aurora gave the other woman a serious look.

"Regina!" She practically screamed from the other end of the hall.

Hearing the voice made Regina clutch her stomach and fall to her knees, tears pricking her eyes. She slowly turned around from facing Chip and Arely to see her battered princess.

"Regina." Emma whispered as she ran at her practically plowing the woman down.

Regna took Emma's still bruised face in her hands, "What did they do to you?"

Emma shook her head, "Nothing I couldn't handle. I'm fine. I'm not feeling any pain." She said as buried her face between Regina's neck and shoulder and inhaled deeply, stood them back up and whispered so only Regina could hear her—she had yet to take in the fact that Chip was with them, "Gods I've missed you. I've missed your eyes, your cheeks, your nose, your lips, your ears." She nipped at Regina's ear, "Your body, your skin," she bit Regina's neck lovingly.

Regina choked out, "Emma." As she hiccupped on a sob.

"Your voice." Emma continued, "Your heart. Your soul." The blonde placed a quick kiss to Regina's chest over her heart and as she pulled away, she stared at the abundance of cleavage the woman's 'armor' gave her, "Your body." She said again.

Regina smiled, happy that her Emma hadn't changed and pulled her in for a tight hug.

Emma looked up to see Arely and Chip, "Oh… Hey guys…" She looked specifically to Chip, "Did you happen to hear every single thing I said?" Chip simply blushed, "Super." Emma nodded.

Aurora, who had been smiling at the exchange, absolutely smitten, gripped at Maleficent's arm, her eyes wide as she looked to the floor, "Oh, no." She whispered.

"What is it?" Maleficent turned to her Briar Rose, concern written on her face.

"Well." Cora's voice filled the hallway, "What a marvelous reunion. True love really does conquer all…" The evil witch came from an adjacent hallway, "Until it can't." She glowered to her daughter and the White Princess. But as she saw Chip, she moved passed the women over his way, "You…" She took his chin between her thumb and forefinger, "Have been a very naughty boy." She bopped his nose with her index finger. This made the werewolf growl, his fangs start to grow and his eyes to yellow. Cora simply smirked, "There's the animal that took care of 20 of my men in mere minutes." She scrunched her nose at him before turning back to the White Princess and her daughter.

But as she looked beyond them again, she was surprised to find the Morpheus Princess, Maleficent and an old hag she'd thought she'd done away with ages ago. "Eva? Is that you, dear?"

Eva gave the evil witch a glower of her own, "Yes, Cora. It is."

"I thought I killed you years ago…?" She asked as if she were asking how long it's been since they last saw each other.

"You did. I was sent to a higher plane. Given access to watch over my family and their loved ones. And when you, the woman who took my life, and the dark one started plotting my all-too-Pure-One of a granddaughter's murder, I was allowed to come down here and well… kick your ass."

Emma's jaw dropped, but she was grinning wide as she heard her grandmother's words.

"Is that right?" Cora asked casually as she got closer to her daughter.

Emma saw this and just as Cora's hand was about to plunge into her love's chest, she yanked on her arm and replaced her.

"Oh, for a Pure One you really are a stupid girl, aren't you?" Cora laughed evilly. "Didn't you know? Love is weakness."

Emma glared at her, seemingly comfortable with the foreign hand squeezing on her heart, "I find those words odd coming from you." She looked the woman up and down, letting her know she wasn't backing down. She also happened to see a pendant of a swan clasped around her neck, which made her narrow her eyes and smile.

Cora had yet to try to pull Emma's heart, no, she liked the intimidation factor. "Why's that?"

"Because even heartless you love a man. Even heartless you've made love to him countless times," She turned a bit, choking on a gag, "And that's a rather disgusting sight that I can't unsee, but you've done it. You removed your heart to take away your weakness, but it's still there. The only thing removing your heart did was make you love less. Make you love your daughter less. But not _him_. Not Rumplestilskin. Not the one that taught you magic. So I find you telling me that love is weakness odd because all you've ever done is push him out of the way and let people try to take your heart."

Cora gave the blonde princess a glare, "Yes, and they were unsuccessful every time. Because I've no heart. But, you... you very much have a heart." She squeezed hard and Emma didn't even flinch; it didn't deter her though, "I can feel your very essence. Taking your heart will ruin you."

"Then what's stopping you?" Emma waited. She waited for the right moment, for the moment when all eyes were on Cora's hand inside her chest, for the moment when Cora would be defenseless. And when that moment came, Emma reached up, grabbed the pendant and yanked.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Red's nose was on high-alert all of the sudden. She was sniffing and walking every which way, turning in circles, moving off to one side then the other, going back and forth in the hall they chose to go down.

"Darling?" Belle tried to step in front of her, but Red simply moved around her. "Red?"

"I smell her…" Red finally spoke, "I… she's below us."

"Well, then… Let's go."

"It also smells like Regina." She smiled, "I think they found each other."

"Not unlike Emma's parents…" Belle subtly slipped that in for a reaction.

Red smiled wider and nodded, "I suppose so." She decided that going the path they had been on would bring them to a staircase, "Don't think I didn't notice you trying to get a rise out of me." She said, waiting for her wife to follow her.

"I'll always try to get a rise out of you darling, it keeps us young."

Red smirked, "Damn right." Then her brows knit, sudden concern gracing her features. She looked to the ceiling then to the floor, then the ceiling again.

"What is it now?"

"The Dark One and Cora… one is below us and one above us."

Belle stared at her wife a moment, "Who's upstairs?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Genie, it's very kind of you to come with us." Snow said as they walked along, trying to ease her way into a conversation telling him that they really didn't need help.

"I'm only doing as my Queen wants. I understand that you two have been through this fight and that with both the dark one and Cora before, and you've handled yourselves, just fine. But now, you are family to her and she wouldn't have let you two wander alone even if you overpowered her and her magic."

Charming laughed, "Well, it's nice to know she cares."

Genie nodded, "The way she cares… it's often too deep. That's why she's been so on edge, that's why she's been so insistent, that's why she's prayed to the gods countless times asking that it have been her instead of Emma. She cares deeper than most of us think possible. And that is why I'm here. I know that you two can handle yourselves. But she wants more than that for you."

"Isn't that precious?" Rumplestilskin's voice filed the hallway. "Regina cares deeply. So deeply for everyone around her." He appeared before the Genie with a pouty face, "But not for you, Genie. She never loved you the way you needed."

"She loves me as she should. As I deserve. And there is no way that you will ever let me believe otherwise. I didn't deserve her in the way I thought I wanted."

"No." Rumple shook his head, "You don't deserve to bed her, not after all the evil wishes you've granted."

"I'd no control over those. She knows that."

"Aye, but you still think about every single one, you still beg for forgiveness." Rumple reached out and magically pulled Charming and Snow to him, "And you will beg for forgiveness after you let the White King and Queen die."

The Genie glared at Rumple. He let his anger overtake him and he grew large. So large, he towered over the three of them and practically filled the big, two-story hallway. He picked up the Dark One with a single fist and stared at him through the fire in his eyes. "What makes you think you will touch them?"

**AN: There you have it. The reunion. Bittersweet? Thoughts and feels? What's gonna happen? Please Read and Review!**


	22. Chapter 22

"Good gods." Gustave breathed out as he, Dunstan, Alexander, Patrick, Pinocchio, and Jefferson found the Genie holding the Dark One in his fist as if he were a ragdoll. They'd heard the yelling from the floors above and came running

They saw Snow and Charming watching on with the same mystified looks and further down the hall, they saw Red, Belle, Artie, Baelfire, Hook and Graham.

"I'd no idea he was so… intimidating." Belle breathed, "I mean, Genie's are all powerful. But I didn't peg him for…"

"He's never shown his abilities like this. He does smaller work. Healing, fixing things. Showing Regina certain people in certain places…" Graham started.

"But I've never seen him do this. Do you know what happened?" Hook looked to the Western Royals.

"Rumple egged him on." Red was still looking at the oversized Genie in the hallway, though a smile appeared, "It's kind of beautiful, don't you think? Him going to all this trouble for the greater good?"

Rumple merely laughed as he looked to Red, "He's not doing it for the greater good. He's doing it for unrequited love!" And, in the blink of an eye, the Dark One was gone.

"Genie!" Hook ran forth, "What did you do?!"

The Genie had knit brows that were lost on no one, "I didn't do anything. He shouldn't have been able to use magic in that hold." He started shrinking to his normal size. "I don't know what's happened…"

"Where are Arely, Chip and Regina?" Charming changed the subject as he looked over the group to find everyone but those three.

After looking to each other for a moment, everyone burst in different directions.

"No!" Charming yelled, causing everyone to stop running back the way they came, "We stick together this time."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Cora tried to rip the Pure One's heart out, but it didn't give way. She gripped tighter and yanked another time. "What in the hell?" Cora finally retracted her hand after a third and fourth try.

"Looks like there's a reason why a Pure One's heart has never been documented to live outside of their body." Emma gave the witch a wicked smirk, "Fun fact. A witch or sorcerer or even the Dark One can't rip it out. Only another Pure One can." She looked around the hallway, "Ask me how I know that! Someone! Come on. Don't be shy."

Maleficent shrugged, deciding to get on with it, "How did you know that?"

"I'll tell you, Aunt Maleficent." She gave the witch a cheeky grin, and got an eye roll in return, "I know because over the years I've had these dreams." She turned to Regina, "Like that first night I got the axe. And it's like I've been learning my abilities by watching my forefathers' pasts." She saw Cora start moving, she wasn't sure what the woman was going to do, so she brought the hand that didn't hold the swan pendant up, magically pushing her into the wall behind her, "You don't want to leave now, do you, Cora? This is the big finale." She gave the woman a victoriously malevolent smile as she raised her other hand letting the swan pendent dangle from her fingers.

Cora's eyes widened. She ripped her arm from the wall and reached to her sternum, hoping to find it still there, "No!"

"Oh, yes." Emma nodded, "Dark One. I summon thee."

Rumple appeared before them all, "Well, people just keep showing up, don't they?" He looked around, his stare falling on Eva, "Aren't you dead?"

Eva rolled her eyes at the question this time, "Yes."

He turned, looking for his lover to find her against the wall, "Got yourself into a pickle, did you?"

Cora stared at him gravely, "Rumple…"

"What?"

"She didn't summon you." Emma interrupted.

Rumple turned to find Emma holding the necklace, "…Oh."

"The hallway is hardly the place for this. Let's go somewhere a little more… Formal. Maleficent?"

"What?"

"My axe, please." Maleficent tossed her the axe.

Emma, who had weaved the necklace through her fingers and around her wrist, already magically securing it in place, grabbed her axe from the air and held it in the same hand. She tapped it against the ground twice; her eyes fluttered closed a moment.

Everyone was so rapt with concentration on what the Pure One was doing that they didn't even notice that they were in the dark, overbearing throne room with its show of 'I have power and you minions don't'. Nor did they notice that they had multiplied and the entirety of the castle's living people—including what was left of the guards and Dr. Frankenstein were there.

As they finally did start noticing, thanks to Charming and his group sputtering words of confusion as they were pulled from the hallways and into this room, they all noticed that they were no longer in their fighting gear but all were in royal garb. The royals all were wearing crowns, all the queens' long hair were pulled back and the princes' and king's coats were fitted and chic.

They noticed that Rumple and Cora were bowed before Emma and Regina at the throne. Emma was standing, Regina sitting.

Emma's hair was pulled back at the sides and she donned her tiara. She still had hold of her axe and the dagger-turned-necklace. Instead of a dress, she opted for a coat and pants. It was white and well and iced with diamonds and sapphires along the bust line, only accentuating her curves, showing plenty of bust. She'd taken note from her ladylove for her coat. The coat fit her figure to the waist before letting the tails of the coat become a floor-length, almost obnoxious half-skirt in the back. The inside of the half-skirt was blue, accenting her white, fitted pants and white leather boots.

Regina was in Emma's favorite dress. The red one with the black lace that covered the plunging 'V' of the dress's front, and synched her waist, fitting her form all-to-smoothly. She made sure to put a little extra razzle dazzle to Regina's diamond crown, just making sure that everyone would know just who the most important royal in the room was.

Regina noticed a book and picture on the arm of the throne. She glanced the items over in wonder before she realized what they were—or, who had had them and why they were with her. She didn't make a comment; simply kept them there.

Aurora was alone she looked around, unsure of where her Phyllipina was. Just as she was going to ask, the feeling came and she knew. She looked up at the tall stretches of the intimidating throne room with a squint, "Phyl!" She smiled.

"Phyl?" Red asked the girl she'd been poofed next to and looked up. It was then she saw the animal at the top stretches of the ceiling. "Maleficent!" She said with surprise.

The swoop of wings was heard and Maleficent made her way from the dark depths. The dragon flew in a circular pattern, making sure to make a show of her form before landing, standing just behind the powerless Dark One and Cora. For good measure the dragon blew a fire ball that came so close to Cora, it singed her hair.

Emma turned to the crowd, who had moved to either side of the dragon to be able to see it all. She gave them all a smile before turning to the two she'd manipulated into a bow before the steps of their own throne. She smirked as she looked down at them, "Now…" She stepped forward, slowly, menacingly until the tips of her boots could be seen by the both of them, milking the situation all the more, "What should I should I do first?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Why do I get to do this?!" Queen Grace clapped her hands as she sat in her throne on a plump pillow to make her seem just a little bigger than she was.

"Because, your majesty, you are the queen. And one of the guards requested an immediate presence with you." Yvaine said as she stood next to the throne on one side.

"Oh." Grace's crown fell onto her forehead and she pushed it back.

"Don't worry. He's probably just wanting to make sure that we're keeping our promise." Shrek said from behind her.

"What promise is that, Shrek?" Grace looked up to him, this time, the crown falling off her head completely.

"Well, we promised to watch after you." Edward gave her a smile as he picked the crown up for her and placed it on her head.

"We promised we wouldn't let anything bad happen to you, or let the court try to manipulate you." Tristan added.

"What's manip… manip-uh-late mean?"

"It means get you to do what they want by making you think it was your idea." Nancy came in front of the little queen and knelt before her, "We won't let anything happen to you, all right?" She said as she fixed the girl's hair.

"Otay." She smiled. She liked Nancy. Nancy was a good singer. She sang her to bed in the nighttimes.

"Are we ready?" Thomas and Ella entered the throne room, followed by Danielle and Henry.

"Does anyone know that this guard has to say?" Ariel asked as he and Eric were the last to enter the throne room.

All the other royals shook their heads. At seeing this action, Grace followed suit shaking her head.

Eric smiled as he knelt before her, "You are the prettiest little queen I've ever laid my eyes on." He bopped her nose with his index finger.

She smiled and blushed a little, "Thanks, Ewic." She smiled wider when he winked at her.

A guard came in, "My Queen?" He asked, looking at the little girl, he'd been on detail for, for the last year.

"Yes, Malcolm?" She sat straighter, not needing anyone to tell her what to do.

"Are you ready to see Jacob?"

"Yes, Malcolm. Send him in, please." She'd watched Aunt Regina do this a ba-zillion times. She knew what to say.

Jacob walked in with a worried look and made his way forth. He didn't crack a smile to the tiny queen like most everyone else had done. He wasn't sure what needed to be done.

"Jacob." Grace stared down to him.

The guard kneeled and bowed his head, "Your Majesty."

"What have you to say?" She place her little hands in her lap, staying impossibly straight as she waited for the guard to speak.

"My queen. It's Maleficent and Aurora."

"What of them?" Ella interrupted.

Grace turned her head and glared to the other queen, "Hey!"

Ella covered her mouth, trying to hold back her laugh, "My apologies, your highness."

Grace simply turned back to Jacob, "What happened?" She asked him, knowing the guard wasn't coming in so formal just to give a report. That she'd learned from Aunt Regina.

"They… They've… They're gone." He said.

A collective gasp could be heard from the rest of the royals. Grace didn't react though. She looked at him, "What happened?" She asked again.

"Maleficent is powerless, as you've been told." Grace nodded at Jacob's words. "Aurora hadn't acted out in a few days. And they… well, they're so in love. I decided I'd leave the door to the bedroom unlocked for an hour and let them have some time together. But when I came back, they'd vanished. They didn't go out the balcony for it was locked, and I stood at the door half listening—mainly to the tones of their voices when I could hear them for that hour. They didn't leave, but when I walked back in… they were no longer there."

"Obviously Maleficent still had magic!" Henry started. Grace raised a single hand like she'd seen Aunt Regina do lots of times, shutting the king up as he looked down at her, "My apologies."

"What shall we do, my queen?" Jacob asked.

Grace thought for approximately seven seconds, "We shall do nothing." She smiled and jumped off her pillow. "All done." She smiled to the many royals that had gathered at her sides and behind her then skipped down the stairs, "Thank you Jacob." She kissed his cheek before running to Malcolm, "Malcolm, where's Delaney? I'm hungry."

"We shall find her." Malcolm said as he scooped the queen into his arms and walked out of the throne room.

"She can't do nothing!" Henry said after Jacob departed as well.

"Uh, okay… But what can she do?" Nancy asked seriously.

"Well, she can…" Henry trailed off.

"She could…" Tristan had nothing as well.

"Well there must be something…" Ariel said.

"No." Shrek shook his head.

"She made the right call." Fiona said.

"If Maleficent did have magic, she only brought her and Aurora back to the Forbidden Mountain, and if she didn't, then something beyond our control took the two of them away." Edward stated for the entire group. "There's nothing to be done. The little queen was right."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Snow got a glance of everyone that was there, after getting over the fact that she'd been magically transported from a hallway, seen her daughter overpower and make the Dark One and Cora bow before her and watch Maleficent's dragon form make her own big entrance and settle intimidatingly behind the two evil beings. It was after all of this that she saw her mother. Wait… her mother? She did a double take to the woman, then a triple take. She stared at the realization set in, "Mother?" she whispered. It took all of a second for Snow to make her way over to her mother, enveloping her in a hug.

Regina stood and moved behind Emma, "How did Maleficent and Aurora get here? I mean, I love the show, but… how was it even possible?"

Emma turned to Regina, "I magicked them here after finding their hearts… I thought I was gonna need help to get home to you…" She smiled, taking the brunette's hand, squeezing it before she looked to her mother, "Grandmother came from a higher plane to help out." She watched her mother hug her grandmother and smiled at the reunion. She felt, rather than saw Cora try to move to make a break for it under Maleficent's body, but Emma was faster.

The blonde placed the blade of her axe against Cora's neck, "It doesn't just do fun things like bring a lot of people from different places that aren't touching to new rooms with new clothes… And it's not just for magic. If you want a beheading all you have to do is ask." She glared down to the woman. Cora glared back up in defiance. Emma simply chuckled, removing the axe, keeping her intimidating stare on the witch, "And if you'd like to be charred, roasted, burnt to a crisp, eaten whole, or endure a raw dismemberment, again, all you have to do is ask." She stared down to Cora who was still trying to defy her. The evil witch finally looked up to the dragon, who had moved so her head was hovering over her body. The dragon puffed a smoke ring around the evil witch; this made Cora kneel again.

This action also made Aurora laugh. Maleficent turned, her neck easily long enough to reach other girl. She nuzzled her gently and Aurora hugged as much of the dragon's nose as she could before the dragon moved back to where she was, focusing on the two beneath her body.

The Briar Rose felt stares and saw Red and Belle's eyes on her. She stared back a moment, letting her third eye work its magic and smiled, "Like you don't cuddle her wolf during wolf's week."

Red dropped her jaw, amused, and looked to her wife who looked just as entertained. They said nothing as they watched Regina move around Emma and walk closer to her mother, but not too close.

Regina stared at her mother, masking any and all emotion then turned back to her lover, "Darling, what is with the show? I think more than one of us came here to kill them."

Emma took a hand of the woman she loved and kissed it, "I know. And from the moment I awoke in clear consciousness from the lovely torture they bestowed, I wanted the same." She kissed the palm of her Shadow Queen's hand, "But as my mind is coming to even greater clarity, plans are changing." She put the flat of her axe under Rumple's chin, "Rumplestilskin." She looked overly superior to the man.

"Yes?" He regretfully stood up, axe following his chin.

"Yes, what?" Emma looked at him all too smug.

Rumple's teeth grit together, "Yes, Master?"

Emma smirked, smugness ever present as she removed the axe from Rumple's chin, "Where is Cora's heart?" she asked, "No…" She shook her head, "Magic the witch's heart here. In it's _chest._"

The Dark One brought his fists up to his chest before flicking them, letting the flats of his hands fall as he brought his arms down into an 'L', a black cloud forming over them as the small chest was produced and presented to Regina and Emma.

Emma turned to her, "You wanna see her with her heart?" She nodded to the small chest.

Regina stared at her lover a moment, "Emma…" she mouthed, the mask falling ever so slightly, emotion seeping through at the prospect of seeing her mother with a heart.

"It's your choice."

Regina opened the chest and looked at the heart inside. After seeing the inside, she knew it was too much to ask the gods. She closed her eyes and turned, shaking her head taking a few steps back to the throne.

"What is it?" Charming asked for the crowd.

Emma stopped staring at her ladylove and looked into the opened box. Her jaw jut to the side as she reached in and picked it up. It was smaller than any heart she'd seen—not that she'd seen a lot. It was also completely black and looked as if it were rotting. She couldn't hide her surprise as she turned it around and saw what seemed to be a few dead maggots fall from it. "It seems Cora's heart is no longer usable. It's old and completely black, and definitely rotting." She said aloud. She threw it back in the box. "Thank you, Dark One."

He waved the box away and knelt down again.

"No, stand up. Both of you." She looked to Cora and waited for the woman to stand before looking back to Regina offering her free hand.

Regina took the few steps and took it. She let herself be pulled to the side of her lover and wrapped her arms around her lover's waist.

"Look at all this." She gestured with the axe to everyone around, before pointing to Aurora specifically, making them look at her, "You two took Aurora's heart once, poisoned it and Maleficent put it back together. You tried to take Maleficent's, but Aurora begged for you to take hers again and you did. You took half of Maleficent's to control them both, and you succeeded for well over two years. You drove Aurora mad, gave Maleficent only feelings for her Briar Rose that was no longer there, and you even went to the great lengths of having Aurora drain Maleficent's magic. And now, they both have their hearts restored. They're probably going to be married in a hop, skip and a jump. Aurora now has a third eye as her mind and heart were restored, and Maleficent _obviously_ has her powers back." Maleficent again blew a smoke ring around the both of them, this made Emma and a few others brave enough to show amusement, chuckle, "You two did that. Congratulations. Love wins. Good wins."

She looked to Hook, "Hook stole your wife from you, Rumple. That's how the tale goes. But that's not what happened was it? No, see, you didn't pay your wife attention. You didn't even know she was gone. Meanwhile, she'd fallen in love with another man, a real man. And you had to do something about it. You ripped her heart from her chest, crushed it to dust, and took his hand for good measure. And he lusted for revenge. For years, he lusted for revenge. He tried to find it, but he could never find you. So he started looking for danger. He went to Neverland for that, and eventually wound up drunk and passed out at the Caspian shore. He was picked up by the very new Shadow Queen while she was making a visit. And now he's one of the prominent advisors of the Queen. You've managed to make Killian Jones go from being a lying, cheating pirate, to one of the most respected men in all the lands. He couldn't have done it without you."

She pointed to her parents, "You messed with my mother and father for years, yet they still managed to come to reign over the White Kingdom and out of all the couples in love, real love, true love, they managed to create the first of the second coming of the Pure Ones. You did that too."

Emma pointed the axe to her grandmother, "You've managed to successfully kill my grandmother, yet she is still here, still able to watch your demise." She turned, walked to the throne and took the picture from its place on the throne's arm. She walked over to Cora and showed it to her, "You stole this picture from her after you poisoned her. My mother doesn't even know it exists, but you knew. She told you about it before she realized who you were." She then walked to her mother and gave her the photo, "It's Grandmother's favorite." She walked back to the dark one and Regina's mother.

She pointed to Baelfire, "Rumple. Your son has traveled to different worlds. He's been to England, whatever that is, and all thanks to you, and his knowledge of magic, he saved a family of lifelong suffering by letting the shadow take him to Neverland in the boys' place. He got out of Neverland, and he somehow got to the Shadow Lands where Regina found him and begged for her father to take him in, adopt him." She chuckled, "Who doesn't love the irony of Cora's daughter, and Rumple's child becoming brother and sister?"

She had them turn back around to her and Regina, "And your own daughter. You've messed with her and messed her life up countless times, yet she is everything you could never be. She is Queen of the Shadow Lands—she's made them prosper since your reign. She is in love. Something she refused to do after you murdered her first one only a few paces from her face. Yet somehow, this _charming_ young girl—you both helped make possible, I remind you—came into her life and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. She is everything good, and that couldn't have happened without you."

She looked to the others, "I'm sure you've made everyone else in this room's lives a living hell at one point or another, yet all of us are here now. We're standing taller, more confident, ever able to defend ourselves as needed. And we owe it all to you both." She looked around, "I think we should give them our full gratitude."

Everyone laughed and clapped, giving their many 'thanks' for all Rumple and Cora had done.

Cora was over it, "If you're going to kill us, Pure One, just get it over with."

Emma pursed her lips and shook her head, "No." She smiled evilly, regally, "I've something far better in mind than killing you." She looked over to the Genie, "Genie of Agrabah?"

"Yes, princess?"

"You and I have had a few conversations over the years as I snuck in and out of the Shadow castle."

He chuckled, "Yes, we have."

"Tell me, what's the worst thing about being a kept Genie?"

The Genie could only smile, "You have phenomenal cosmic powers… and an itty bitty living space."

"Now, Sir Genie, I've never lived in a lamp, but, would you think, based on what you know of these two that living in such a space for the next… How long did you live before—?"

"10,000 years."

"10,000 years would be an appropriate punishment for them?"

Genie smiled a small smile, "Aye, your majesty. I think that they would definitely think twice about messing with a Pure One or anyone for that matter."

"Me too." She looked to everyone else, "Is that alright with everyone? I know that we're not killing them, like a lot wanted, but… I'm more a kill when I have to, punish if I can kind of girl."

There were a lot of small conversations, debating the 'what ifs?' of the situation.

Emma turned to Regina, "That all right with you?" She asked, "I'll kill them, let you kill them, let Maleficent kill them, let whoever kill them, if you want me to—"

"No, I think that letting them spend 10,000 years together in such close quarters sounds like a wonderful plan."

The White Princess smiled and waved her hand producing a lamp.

This was when Cora tried to make another break for it, but again, Maleficent was faster, and Emma was even faster than the dragon. Maleficent breathed fire on the spot Cora was running for, and Emma pointed to the escaping woman and then to the lamp, and suddenly, she was gone from sight. She moved on to Rumple.

He wanted to resist. "I'll get you for this. You, your lineage. I will kill you when I get out. Mark my words." He willed his body to do something, but Emma still had a hold of the necklace.

Emma laughed, "If you're still alive! Your lover will surely be dead judging by the state of her heart, or the fact that you might go after one another in there. And you… magical though you may be, even the Dark One can't live forever." She pointed to the resisting Dark One and the lamp, transporting him to the lamp.

Emma let the pendant fall from her hands to hold onto the chain, but as it dangled it started changing form. Emma looked the dagger over. "This is what gives him all that power that he can no longer use? I've a good place for it." She put it in her belt for the time being.

She walked down a few steps, Regina's hand in hers before she scanned the room again, "Dr. Frankenstein." She dropped Regina's hand, crooking her finger as she tilted her head, waiting for the man to approach. "Are you a little scared of me now? Now that you don't have me strapped down to a table and aren't shooting electrical currents through my body?"

The doctor swallowed audibly, "Yes!" he closed his eyes, waiting for his punishment.

Emma looked his scared form over, "Good." She took a step closer, "Where are your notes on me?"

"In my lab. In my notebook."

Emma closed her eyes a moment. All she had to do was visualize the lab, and see the notebook before it appeared floating in the air before her and her ladylove, "Now it's mine." She took it from the air and gave it to Regina.

"You can't just!—That is research!" He reached for it from Regina's arms, but Emma magically took hold of him and held him in the air.

"Research that you'll never be able to prove or use. I'm sending you back to your homeland. If you ever try to hitch a ride here again, I will see to it personally to take your heart and crush it to dust. You're not to mess with life and death like you have been. You're not to try to bring the dead alive again. It can't be done for a reason."

"It is my life's work." The doctor slumped forward in the air, giving a good impression of a whining toddler.

"Find something else." Emma fisted her hand and opened it to reveal what looked to be fairy dust. She blew it on him and he was gone with a puff of smoke.

She looked around to see the many, many guards, "As for the rest of you. I'll let you go. You get a second chance. Don't work for the bad guy again because I won't hesitate to break your necks." She said before tapping the end of her axe against the ground twice, the guards were all gone, leaving the 22 that remained and the lamp. She casually made her way over to the throne grabbing the book that knew so much about her, putting it with Dr. Frankenstein's notes before turning to the dragon, "Thank you. You can change back now."

Maleficent stretched her neck and looked up, spreading her wings, showing her full size before she began shrinking.

"What are we going to do with that?" Snow pointed to the lamp as she approached her daughter and Regina while the dragon changed back to human form.

"Nothing, mother. We leave it here. No one will ever be able to touch it this way. I'll seal the entire castle magically preventing entrance to anyone." Emma said as she was wrapped up in a hug by first her mother, then her father.

A few moments of hugging went by before Maleficent changed completely and had greeted Aurora once again, "Can we get out of here now?" Maleficent knew her Briar Rose was itching to leave.

"I don't like it here. I feel like I've been here for far too long." Aurora whispered, hugging Maleficent close.

Emma smiled over to the couple, "Keep your gown on, Aunt Maleficent."

"…Aunt?" Regina and Snow both asked.

Emma only smiled.

**AN: I know that they didn't kill them like a lot of you wanted, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter anyways! Thoughts and Feels? Please Read and Review!**


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: To my guest reviewer, Sita. This story isn't done! There are going to be at least 26 chapters. Thank you for the review! It gave me a lot to work with! But to answer your question, it was simply a stylistic decision. The different styles of speech from modern to medieval-esque is just like including parks and park benches and the dances I chose to the technical medieval story. I decided to write anachronistically because it made it fun for me, and I personally think it set an interesting, entertaining, different tone and style for my story…**

**For the rest of you, I hope you enjoy!**

"Aunt?" Snow and Regina both prompted at the same time again.

"Great-half-aunt, actually." Emma looked at Maleficent before handing Frankenstein's notebook and Rumple's book to her lover.

Snow's entire face scrunched in confusion, "But… no. Emma, she's… She's younger than me, how is that—?"

"She used an aging spell—or a counter-aging spell, I should say, my dear." Eva stepped into the conversation.

"She's your sister?" Regina asked the undead woman.

"Half sister." Eva clarified.

"Yes, she can't clear that one up enough." Maleficent rolled her eyes.

Regina didn't let what was most assuredly going to be an entertaining argument between a dead woman and a newly re-powered witch go further than that. She turned to said newly re-powered witch with a flash of disgust and a touch of playfulness despite all that had just happened, "Emma is your niece?"

"Snow is my niece. Emma is my great-niece."

"You tried to sleep with your great-niece." Regina stared the woman dead on.

This statement was followed by a lot of disgusted grunting and surprised gasps from all the other people in the room.

"I did no such thing!" Maleficent responded quickly.

"Yes you did." Emma nodded vigorously as she took Regina's hand, "The day you came to warn us of the two of them. Regina asked you what you wanted and you said you would have a marvelous time with me. And the inflection of your tone was all but pure."

"Maleficent…" Snow stepped forward, "Why?"

"Oh, good gods in the heavens." Maleficent rolled her eyes again and started moving around in a large circle as she collected her temper enough to talk with these… people.

As Maleficent looked to the crowd, she saw Emma and Regina's amused looks. She glared at them as she responded, "First, I didn't know that she was who she was. I didn't realize she was a White Royal. And when I did, I figured it didn't matter because no one was ever going to know…" She glared pointedly to Eva. "Then you had to get all righteous and descend from your higher plane and come help out!"

"Oh, a thousand pardons for trying to save my family."

"Family, sure." Maleficent paced away from her sister, she put her hands on her hips before she turned back with vengeance and heartache, "Where were you when they were torturing me?! When they were torturing Briar Rose?!"

Eva swallowed hard, "…That's not fair."

"It's no matter." Maleficent waved her off; she was not going to get emotional here in _this _castle, under a lake, with people that had come after her and she had gone after on multiple occasions. She looked to everyone else, "I probably still would have done it if I knew." She looked to Emma, "Because you didn't know who I was to you and really, I just like to rile the Shadow Queen."

Emma let the tension in the room fall as she walked over to her great-half-aunt and gave the other woman a welcoming hug. Then… she giggled. That's right, Emma Louise Swan White giggled as she looked to the older blonde, "She is fun when she gets riled up." She glanced back to her lover, "And you did rile her up a bit whether she admits it or not."

"I think I riled you up more…" Maleficent gave the younger blonde a grin.

"Yes." Emma was not afraid to be frank, "You really did." She wrapped her free arm around her new favorite family member and winked to her lover. "Let's get out of here."

She tapped her axe twice on the ground.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Everyone looked around as the bright morning sun caught light of everything it touched. They looked to themselves to discover they had once again changed from the formalwear back to the clothes they arrived in.

Emma only looked up at the sky and smiled. Then she looked to her undead grandmother to see if she was reading her thoughts.

Eva simply gave the girl a smile and a nod to tell her that yes, she did know when she first came to her that Emma thought her to be the sun.

Regina walked over to the White Princess still holding the books under her arm, "Darling? Why are we not in my castle?"

"I wanted to see Ice." She turned to find the steed still hanging out with the other horses, "Ice!" She called, giving her lover her axe.

He looked up and broke from the pack of all the horses that stood dutifully waiting on their humans, making his way over to his human. Emma smiled when the horse pushed his face passed her shoulder and ducked his head, pulling her in for a hug.

Emma stroked his neck, "Did you know I wasn't okay, Ice?" She whispered to the horse as she pulled back and stroked his muzzle.

Ice's ears fluttered back and forth and he nodded his head up and down before whinnying and staring at her.

She smiled and magicked him his favorite mixture of sugar cubes and carrots—his favorite aside from Regina's apples that was. As he ate, she pressed her face to his nose, "Were you worried?" The horse merely stopped eating a moment took time to swallow, then continued on. She grinned to the horse and kissed his nose, "I love you, Ice." She kissed his nose again and continued magicking food for the horse, never letting her hand empty, until he was satisfied.

In the meantime, Regina had magicked a trough for the rest of the horses. She walked over to the horse and human, "Does he still love you?" She asked jokingly.

"Yes." Emma nodded.

"Would you like an apple, Ice?" Regina waved her hand producing the treat and Ice quickly pushed from his human to his human's special other human and started munching away.

"Hey! I thought you missed me and we were bonding!" Emma looked at her horse that simply ignored her and nommed happily at the apple. She shook her head and pet his neck before doing a quick survey across the crowd.

She saw Arely by himself for once, and that threw her off. As she looked on, she saw him facing away from everyone else, standing that the beginning of the dock to the lake.

"What's he doing?" Emma asked Regina as she pointed to the Caspian Prince.

"Oh, goodness!" Regina remembered how she got to her lover, "We have to put the mermaids in the Caspian Sea."

"Mermaids?" Emma's interest was peaked.

"Yes, Cordelia and her sisters brought us to the castle entrance."

Emma gave the woman an excited look before running through all the people over to Arely, "Make 'em come out!" She clasped both of his shoulders, "I wanna see a real mermaid. Not a merman turned King, but a real life, in the water, in the flesh mermaid!"

Arely gave the girl a bit of a chuckle before he stepped out to the dock, Emma riding his heals. He whistled "My Jolly Sailor Bold" as he did and when they got to the end, he waited. "Emma, I promised them that we would get them out of this lake and into my grandfather's sea."

"We will. Does he know we're coming?"

Arely shook his head.

"Well… Maybe we should tell him before we just drop a few mermaids into the sea." Emma commented.

"It's not just a few. These sisters obviously stuck together. They're their own pack. There was a sister for each of us, except Cordelia took me and Regina."

"_Cordelia?_" Emma watched Arely's face as he said her name and had no choice but to try to have a little fun with the man, "Could it be that you are finally going to stop sticking it wherever you please?"

"What does 'sticking it' mean?" a feminine, foreign, lovely voice came from below them.

"Wow!" Emma breathed out. She turned to Arely and waived her hand producing a vial, "This is travel dust. I've used it on you before. It will bring you back here when you're done talking with your grandfather." She tapped his head making him vanish. Then settled on her stomach on the dock.

"Where did he go?" Cordelia asked.

"I sent him to his grandfather. He's going to talk with him, tell him that he's going to have a school of mermaids to adopt into the clan."

Cordelia smiled, "Oh, thank you. I wasn't sure it was a pact that would actually have any benefits."

Emma smiled, "I think it will have more benefits than you realize."

"What does that mean?"

"Do you like Arely?"

Cordelia immersed herself in the water until only her eyes showed. She was covering her blush.

Emma pulled herself to the very edge of the dock and smiled at her, "I think that he likes you as well… He tends to go for any girl in a skirt—" She knit her brows as she remembered his many come ons to her, "No, strike that, he tends to go for any living, breathing girl with legs…" She grinned, "Maybe it will take a girl with a tail to make him see the error of his ways." The White Princess chuckled as she watched Cordelia push out of the water again and grab hold of the dock to keep conversation flowing. Emma could only speak what was on her mind, "Gods, you're beautiful." She stared at the mermaid.

"Thank you." Cordelia pushed from the dock, treading the water a moment before swimming back to the other girl, "You are beautiful too." She reached out and touched Emma's face, "You're Regina's love." She looked behind the blonde a moment before looking back to her, "You were still alive." She smiled, "That's good. I'm glad the bad man and Regina's mother didn't kill you."

Emma chuckled, "Me too."

"Would it anger Regina if I kissed you in thanks and appreciation for defeating the bad man?"

The White Princess looked down, "I think she wouldn't be the most pleasant with you if you did." She looked at the mermaid, "How do you know I even took part in defeating the bad man?"

"Because it's written all over you. You're the hero of this tale. I can see it in everyone's eyes. Including that tutelary spirit's." She pointed to Eva, "She's done her job."

"Tutelary spirit? Is that what she is?" Emma asked completely intrigued.

"Did she not tell you?"

"She didn't know. How did you?"

"The alive and undead give off a certain aura mermaids can read—only mermaids. Not mermen. That's why merpeople have respected the female kind for so long. Each aura is different. She feels like a tutelary spirit to me."

"Wow… well that's a special little trick you have there."

"It's the most important reason I know that you're the hero." Cordelia smiled.

A puff of blue smoke filled the water and Arely appeared confused as to why he would be drenched. He looked to Emma, "You couldn't give this stuff a more precise measurement of where exactly it was to drop me off?"

"No." Emma shook her head. "It wouldn't be fun for me if I did that." She winked before sobering, "What did Granddad say?"

For his answer, all of Cordelia's sisters surfaced, waiting.

Arely smiled, "He's setting up chambers in the castle now."

"Good." Emma waved her hands, giving the prince another vial, "Use this after they've settled. This will take you back to the Shadow Castle."

Arely swam over to her and took it.

"As for the rest of you, thank you for bringing them to the castle's entrance. And I hope you enjoy your new home." Emma let her hand rest against the water's surface. A few ripples of white magic made their way into the water and soon Arely and the mermaid sisters were gone.

"Where did they go?" Chip asked as he came over and looked into the water.

"The Caspian Sea. Why? Did you fall in love with your mermaid too?"

Chip knit his brows and shook his head, "Nay. Can't say I did."

Emma smiled as she stood and hugged him, "I missed you, friend."

"I missed you." Chip hugged her tighter.

They turned, making their way back up the dock to the rest of the group. Emma took her axe from Regina then the books.

"What now?" Snow asked for the group.

"Now, mother, you take these books for a bit." Emma handed them off to her mother's waiting hands, "Keep them safe."

Charming put his hand in and stared a hard stare at his daughter, "Why do you sound as though we're separating again?"

Emma gave her father a smile, "Because we are." She stopped him—and everyone else's objections, "Only for a bit. I've to dispose of this." She pulled Rumple's dagger from her belt. "I've a place in mind and not everyone can come."

"I'm just stating for the record that you are in trouble." Regina whispered in her love's ear.

Emma grinned and turned back to her, "You are coming with me." She whispered back before turning to everyone else, "I'm sending you back and Regina and I will be there soon." She tapped her axe once, sending everyone to the Shadow Castle.

The second tap sent her and Regina onto their destination.

~0~0~0~0~0~

When they pulled from each other, they were at the spring that Emma had found three years before.

"Is this where your axe came from?"

"Isn't it beautiful?"

"Breathtaking.." Regina breathed out.

"Come on." Emma dove into the water, and Regina was quick to follow.

They made their way under the waterfall and into the cave. Regina held tight to her love's side after they got out until Emma produced enough light for them to see.

"Wow, you weren't kidding about the one path thing, were you?" The brunette asked as they started on their way.

"Nope."

Just as she had done three years before, she threw her white fireball into the pit and the semi-room flooded with light.

"Woah!" Emma was staring at a blank wall.

"What?"

"It's solid… there's no break in the rock from where the axe was." Emma began running her hand over the rock where the axe had been three years before.

"That's… not normal."

Emma shook her head. "No." She shrugged as she pulled the dagger out. "It just means that I picked the right spot, I guess."

"You picked this spot because it's surrounded with Pure-ness and the dagger alone is evil?"

"Yup." Emma stood before the wall then raised her arm with the dagger and with all her might struck forward.

As soon as the dagger's tip struck the wall, the dagger cracked, and as her arms followed through on her strike, the dagger shattered. The pieces floated around them then into the fire pit. The hilt of the dagger was pulled from Emma's hand and flew into the fire as well.

The two watched on with undivided attention. The fire swirled up to the ceiling looking down on them menacingly before it shrank to a small ball. Snowball size. What happened next was truly remarkable. The tiny ball erupted; it surged the opposite direction of the two women hugging in fear.

As they watched the white fire blanket the wall before them, they saw symbols appear as the flames started to fade.

"What is that?" Emma asked.

"Darling, I think it's your story… They're pictographs. All of the symbols must be."

Emma waved her hand, producing another fireball as the flames faded faster. She smiled and pointed, "Look at that one… the bench with the heart behind it." She took her lover's waist and held her tight as they watched the pictures form.

Regina kissed her cheek, "It's your story." She hugged her lover tight and felt the blonde transport them both.

~0~0~0~0~0~

The royals, advisors and competitors found themselves in the stables with the still dressed horses.

Chip chuckled after orienting himself and moved to his horse, taking its gear off.

"What is so funny, son?" Belle asked as she moved to her horse, mimicking her son.

"She could have taken the gear off all the horses and magicked us to our rooms." He smiled up to his mother, "She knew that, for the most part, all of us would be antsy and gave us something to do."

"Are you sure she could have done that?" Red asked from the opposite side of her son.

"Oh yes. Read Mom's books. Pure Ones have more power than Genies." The Genie of Agrabah walked by and stopped, staring at the werewolf. Chip was quick to try to explain himself, "Sir, Genie, that was a compliment… in a sense. The only thing comparable to a Pure One is a Genie…"

Genie gave him a blank look before finally cracking a smile and moving on to his horse.

"So… she wants us to take care of our own horses." Charming said as he patted his naked horse's neck. He looked over to Ice, "But what of her own?"

Ice tapped the floor and shook his head in quick side-to-side movements, as if trying to shake the reigns from his mouth.

Eva looked to the man, "Charming. Honestly. Take the horse's gear from him."

"Eva, I'm not sure you understand the trouble this horse has caused me."

Eva raised a brow, "All that trouble was not the steed, but his owner."

Charming took the horse in, "I suppose you blame Emma for your behavior as well?"

A nod came from Ice, "Well, I can't punish the innocent." Charming finally walked to the horse's stall and started removing his gear.

Arely poofed into the stables, wet. He had a wide-eyed, happy, dreamy look and rubbed at his cheek.

"What happened to you?" Artie asked as he walked over to the prince.

"Cordelia kissed me."

Chip narrowed his eyes at the man, "No she didn't."

"She did so!" He looked as if he were ready to start a fight.

"She kissed your cheek." Chip stated arrogantly, calling Arely's bluff.

"Same thing!" Arely turned from him to start telling his tale to the other contenders that had gathered around.

"It's not the same thing…" Dunstan was the one to pipe up. "A kiss of the lips and a kiss of the cheek is completely different."

"It's the same!"

"Different…" Alexander looked to the ground, not necessarily wanting to start a fight, but needing to put in his opinion.

"A kiss is a kiss." Arely crossed his arms.

"Says the man that wasn't kissed on the lips by the unattainable." Chip chuckled.

"A kiss is a kiss!" Arely practically shouted to the werewolf.

Chip gave him a glare, turned the Prince's cheek to him and kissed his cheek, "It's not the same thing, brother."

This made everyone in the stables laugh and Arely turn bright red. "I'd no idea you were queer, Chip. I admit you are good looking, but you're definitely not the gender I prefer."

Chip rolled his eyes and clapped the other prince on the shoulder. Instead of making a fight of it, he rolled with it—plus he didn't think it a thing to needed to defend himself over; he didn't think it an actual insult. He looked to the other man, "Your pride back yet?"

Arely shook his head, "Not quite." He looked around, "Why are we in the stables?"

"We're taking care of our horses. I got yours." Gustave said.

"Why are the stable workers not in here?" He asked.

"Emma wanted us to take care of them so she and Regina could have more time putting the dagger wherever it's going." Chip answered.

"I think we've spent enough time here; let us head to the castle." Charming stated, clapping his hands, waiting for a response. A response that came with grunts of affirmation and heavy nods.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Listen, your majesty. We have to enact these taxes and we must do it now. If we don't then we won't match last year's numbers and the budget will be in deficit."

Grace swung her legs back and forth as she sat on her throne in the courtroom. She pursed her lips as she thought, "So you wanna tax all the poor peoples and rich peoples and all the peoples more so that there's no difficult."

"Deficit."

"Dat's what I said." Grace glared at the man explaining everything to her. She looked to Yvaine, Shrek, Ariel and Nancy—she liked them the most because they was a star, a ogre, a former merman, and from New York—and she was only allowed to have four royals with her in the court. That's what they said at least. She got off her throne and moved to stand in front of them, "What does 'tax' mean?"

"It means to add more money onto something." Nancy said softly. "Sweetie, they are asking you to make people pay an amount that I'm sure they simply cannot afford."

"They can't afford it? Tristan and I could barely afford the percentage they're asking." Yvaine joke though her tone was anything but joking, "Grace, you cannot do this to your people."

Grace looked to Ariel and Shrek, "Do you boys agree with the ladies?"

"In short. Yes." Ariel nodded.

"Yeah." Shrek agreed as well.

Grace toddled to the bars of the perch in the courtroom and looked over what seemed to be the infinite members of the court. Then she saw Lord Van Dyke. She made her way to the stairs, holding on to the railing as she took each careful step down. Then she toddled all the way over to the only truly respected court member. She climbed in his lap and looked him in the eye. "Lord Van Dyke." She stated.

"Yes, my queen?" He tried to hide his grin.

"Would they even think about asking the real queen to tax?"

The man looked to his fellow court members before shaking his head, "No, your majesty, the thought would never have crossed their minds. They're trying to take advantage of you."

"They's not asposed to do that. Regina said so. She said if they did she was gonna… Well, she was gonna do not nice things."

Lord Van Dyke chuckled, "I'll bet she did."

Grace leapt from his lap and made her way back to the throne, "No taxes!" She yelled with a raise of her arms and stamp of her foot.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Regina and Emma poofed to the castle doors just as the rest of the royals and the advisors got to the front of the castle.

"Greetings." Chip called to the two women as they smiled and waited on the rest to join them.

"I thought it clever for you to take away the stable hands and all the workers from the stables to the castle so we took more time getting from one place to the other."

Emma knit her brows, "I didn't take out or move any workers from the stables or the grounds…" She looked around, "Where are all the guards?"

Regina's face took on an angry, grave mask. She swiftly magicked the doors open and started walking—stalking was a more appropriate term. She knew something sinister was going down when they saw, in the main hallway, a crowd gathered outside the courtroom.

Regina pushed through the crows and growled. "Move." Her voice was low and threatening.

The royals and workers didn't even have time to realize and relish in the fact that everyone had returned seemingly safely. No, instead they darted away from the large doors as Regina magically forced them open—so much so that they flew off the hinges creating the elaborate entrance she wanted.

"Wow…" Snow said softly.

"Talk about a power couple." Eva added.

Emma looked to her mother and grandmother, the same surprised face on all three women, "She is _pissed_!" She said before running after the Shadow Queen.

All the contestants and advisors were hot on her heals and then the rest of the royals decided they could enter as well. The concerned guards and workers were the last to enter.

Regina scooped Grace into her arms, "Have you signed anything? Said 'yes' to anything?"

Grace shook her head, before realizing who it was that was holding her, "Aunt Regina!" She hugged her neck tight, "They wanna tax everybody, but I said 'No'. And Jacob losted Maleficence and Princess Rora… but I decided that I couldn't do anything about that until you got back… _And_, I gotted dessert every night before bed!"

Regina couldn't help the sigh of relief and the laugh that came from her mouth as she hugged the toddler tight.

"Daddy!" Grace started wiggling and Regina set her on the ground so she could jump into her father's arms.

Regina stood over her court, placing her angry hands on the railing, looking down on all of them, "Taxes?" She gave the room a glare, letting them know that they were better than that, better than trying to pawn schemes off onto her toddler replacement while she was gone. "Really?"

"Your Majesty, all due respect, you have no right to judge us in this moment—"

"Because I haven't been sworn back in?" She looked to the toddler in her advisor's arms, "Queen Grace, I relieve you of your duties as I am of sound mind and physical presence." She turned back to the man that tried to get off with a technicality, "Taxes… Really? I seem to remember that we've had this conversation on more than one occasion, and I seem to remember that the last time it was brought up, you all swore to the heavens you'd not bring it up again."

"And you need to look at the books—"

"The books that are falsified at every possible chance?" Bae interrupted, looking to the other court member. "The queen keeps a book of her own. It's never been tampered with. We're fine. In fact, we're prospering more than ever before."

A silence settled over the court. "Well, if that's all you men called in a meeting for, I'd say we're adjourned."

"Not quite." Lord Big Shnoz stood up. "We need to discuss the competition."

"Oh, yes. The competition…" Regina rolled her eyes.

"Yes. There is a rather large matter to discuss."

"And that is?"

Lord Big Shnoz looked to Regina as he spoke seriously. "We might have been frightened due to your mother and the dark one, but we all saw the White Princess take off her band and burn it. Her magic was able to over power it the whole time. She needs to be eliminated, or at the very least—_the very least_—the competition needs to start over."

Regina's jaw was tight. It was taking everything inside her not to leap down there and strangle the whining butt-munch to death.

"Alright." Emma's voice rang out. "As you wish."

Regina's eyes landed on the blonde. "What?"

**AN: Wait… Emma's okay with starting the competition over? Thoughts and feels? Please Read and Review!**


	24. Chapter 24

_"We might have been frightened due to your mother and the dark one, but we all saw the White Princess take off her band and burn it. Her magic was able to over power it the whole time. She needs to be eliminated, or at the very least—_the very least_—the competition needs to start over."_

_Regina's jaw was tight. It was taking everything inside her not to leap down there and strangle the whining butt-munch to death._

_"Alright." Emma's voice rang out. "As you wish."_

_Regina's eyes landed on the blonde. "What?"_

Emma didn't look back to Regina; instead she plowed forward, "We will start the competition over. Dunstan, Gustave, Patrick and Arely will rejoin and if you like the first game can be the battle you missed as you ran with the crowd and _cowered_ in fear."

Lord Big Shnoz stood up and glared to the White Princess, "And how will we now if you use magic?"

"I'll have a sash that changes color this time. If I think about magic it will go from black to blue. If I actually use magic, it will turn white."

"No, Emma!"

"You can't agree to that!"

"We won't do it!"

"I'll not compete!"

And other various exclamations made their way from the competitors', Regina's, and the many royals' mouths.

Emma ignored them and stared at the court, "The competition will begin at the week's end. That should give us all enough time to recuperate and prepare." When no one said anything of agreement, she took a bored breath, "Now, if it pleases the court, I'm going to go to my bedchamber as I've been kidnapped, beaten, beaten some more, been thrown on the cusp of death and have come back. For those that haven't experienced it, it's awfully exhausting." She nodded once as they all seemed to wave her off a clever comment lost on the tips of their tongues; though, she grinned as Lord Van Dyke smirked her direction.

The White Princess then walked with an angry herd of people at her tail.

"Emma! Why did you do that?!"

"We're not going to compete for the Queen's hand! Not after everything that's happened!"

"Dear, think about what you're agreeing to."

"There has to be another way!"

"You shouldn't have to do it!"

Emma turned to all of them once she was at her family's guest quarters door. She gave them all a tired smile, "I know I shouldn't have to, but the fact of the matter is that I do. There isn't another way, I know what I'm agreeing to, the rest of you _will_ compete, and I mainly did it to get it over with." She sighed and just as protests were about to explode at a decibel rate she wasn't sure should be able to be produced by humans, she put her hand up, "No… no." she shook her head telling them to stop before they started, "Tired. Beaten. Defeated the Dark One and Regina's mother. The week's end is the new start of the competition. Let us sleep. Let us talk about this later."

She looked to Regina and kissed her cheek, "I'm also hungry and going to your room… Will you feed me and sleep with me and love me?" She whispered.

As she glanced, she saw her grandmother, Aurora, and Queen Red grinning no doubt having heard what she said or reading her thoughts or something, and Chip was blushing a bit as he pretended not to hear what she said. She gave him a slight smirk before turning to go into the chambers.

Snow, Charming and Eva followed, shutting and locking the door behind them.

Regina sighed from the outside, "She's not to be reasoned with now. We'll reconvene once she's rested and willing to listen."

"She seams stubborn as her mother and father, are we sure that her being 'willing to listen' will ever happen?" Red asked jokingly.

Regina gave the other queen a look letting her know that she wasn't sure it would, "I'm tired as well, and I'm sure everyone that traveled with me is exhausted too. Whether she's willing to listen or not, she's right. We need to rest." She gave them all a smile before poofing out of the hallway.

She first appeared in the kitchen where most of the kitchen staff had returned from the excitement of the courtroom.

"Your Majesty!" Holly, the main cook looked at the evaporating smoke to see which magical being was gracing her with presence, "You must be exhausted! What are you doing in my kitchen?"

"Yes, you should go to sleep…" Gwyneth, the first of a pair of friends that could rarely be separated said.

Kendall, Gwyneth's second half started in, "Especially if the White Princess is also going to bed…"

The pair wore matching, knowing grins as Regina blushed.

The Shadow Queen looked anywhere but at the best friends before her, "I need sustenance. Holly do you have snack food?"

"I do." Holly nodded as she made a plate with various cheeses, crackers, meats, fruits, vegetables and matching dips for the fruits and vegetables—all of them, Regina noted were the snack foods Emma claimed to like most. She gave it to the queen and smiled, "I have one more thing." The cook walked to her refrigerator and walked back out with a small chocolate cake.

"Chocolate cake?" Regina asked as she looked to the cook.

"We knew it was her favorite. We made one a day since she left, preparing for her return. It's fresh." Holly smiled as she stuck two forks in the cake and handed it over as well.

Regina didn't feel the tears, she only noticed that the counter got wet as she looked down. She sniffled slightly and smiled up to the three women, "Thank you ladies." She then poofed out of there.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Snow and Charming tried to follow their daughter to her room, but they were stopped, "Snow, dear." Eva looked from her daughter to her son-in-law, or what would be her son-in-law were she not dead, "Charming. Come. Sit. She needs rest."

"She's going to Regina." Charming stated as relented chasing after his daughter, knowing that was why Eva was trying to stop them. He plopped with his wife on the couch in the living room

Eva sat on a chair adjacent to the couch, "Would you do any different, were you in her shoes?"

Charming glanced to his wife, "I suppose I wouldn't." He patted his wife's knee relaxing into the cushions before lurching forward. "Just like I wouldn't let the court tell me that I should either be disqualified or start from the beginning of a competition!" he growled his anger. "I promised Regina that I would do everything I could to not have the competition be an issue—"

"Char—Charming, Charming!" Snow wrapped her arm around her husband, placing her hands on his shoulders, squeezing in effort to sooth, "Darling, you need to calm down. There's nothing we can do right now, today…" She turned to her mother, "Is there?"

Eva shook her head, "You need not fret." She looked to the man that made her daughter so unbelievably happy, "I'm here to help."

Snow smiled over to her mother, "And will you stay after you do?"

Eva gave her daughter a sad smile back, "I'm afraid I can't be down here forever. Just when I am absolutely needed."

Snow seemed to get irrationally upset, "So, you help us then you just leave? The gods think that fair?"

"The gods are merely advisors for me. Snow, dear it's my decision. And I know that after I help I need to go back to my plane."

"Can't you stay for a little while?"

Eva now grinned, "I'll stay for a wedding or two, give myself a reward." She nodded.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Oh, man! You guys wouldn't believe it!" Artie jumped with excitement before taking a sip from his chalice as he looked to all the royals and guards and a few workers that were listening to his relaying of events in the garden.

He had napped for an hour or two before hunger and thirst called for him, and it was as his cousins walked over to the picnic he had set up with a few royals at their sides, did he decide to start in on his tale.

"Arely. Pompous, egotistical, ladies' man, Arely that we think only thinks of himself and is all too arrogant, walks out to the dock, and begins whistling." Artie mimics the tune.

"My Jolly Sailor Bold." King Eric provided for everyone.

"That's the song merpeople enjoy most…" Ariel added, "Well… it's the song merpeople grace humans with presence for before…"

"Before…?" Nancy asked with wide, curious brown eyes.

"Before they lure their prey face first into the water, pretending to assure them a kiss before eating them." Eric provided.

Nancy gasped and moved into her husband's lap from her spot next to Ariel.

"Calm down, Nancy… I'm a vegetarian. And I'm human now…"

"Right…" She hugged her husband tighter, "I just love my husband…" She tried before grinning, knowing it was a lost cause, "How does a mermaid stop eating humans if that is apparently what they do?"

"I've never eaten one…" He shrugged, "My father is the leader of the only known clan of vegetarians. We are of peaceful nature and tend towards befriending humans… despite fathers' wishes sometimes." He raised and lowered his brows once before taking his husband's hand.

"Interesting." Nancy looked back to Artie, "So, what happened next?"

Artie smiled, "Well, next, I think our dear Arely was pricked with Cupid's bow. Cordelia emerged. They talked, they kissed and Arely came back to us. He said they'd made a 'pact' and would bring us to the entrance of the castle."

"And the castle was really inside the lake?" Edward asked.

"It was underneath it. Buried for no one to ever see."

~0~0~0~0~0~

As evening settled in, Graham, Hook, Chip and Arely found themselves on one of the side porches, beers in hand, a fire going in the center, obnoxiously elegant, fire pit.

Hook looked between Arely and Chip, "You know, Prince Chip—"

"Please, we're far passed formalities, are we not?" Chip gave the older gent a look.

Hook smiled, "Chip, you seem to try to ignore Arely an awful lot."

"And?"

"And you still end up by his side." Graham chuckled taking a swig.

"Yes, well, it's hard to get rid of a gnat."

"Oh, come now. I am not merely a gnat."

Chip tried to hide his grin through his rant, but he knew that the other men knew he was letting steam off and actually respected the other prince. "But you are! You're annoying and inconvenient and always there when I need you the least. The only reason I've even tolerated you is because you've benefited Emma and the Shadow Queen, two women not unlike my mothers, whom I respect and are in that special kind of love. And I want to see that love last—that, Arely is why I haven't swatted you away."

Hook let out a laugh as he watched the two, "You two are just like Graham and myself." He looked to his best friend, "I suppose Bae was right, hm?"

Graham only grinned as he took another drink, "Absolutely." He looked at Chip, "Just let him do as he wishes. He's not going away anytime soon. And despite realizing it, soon you will find him amusing and actually seek him out."

"He's talking from personal experience." Hook added. "Yup, I am the apple of his eye—Oh! No, that's wrong, I'm merely his brother now. The apple of his eye is Ruby."

"Ruby?" Arely asked with a wide grin.

"Who's Ruby?" Chip gave a grin of his own.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Alexander and Patrick walked along the corridors of the castle. They walked until they found the vacant quarters they were told about by an interesting, formerly crazy birdie that answers to the nickname 'Briar Rose' and merely walked over to them with a smile and told them where they could not be interrupted for alone time.

They looked down either end of the hallway before Patrick pushed his prince against the wall and tried to open the door. Finally successful, it took all of three seconds to separate and move stealthily into the open quarters.

Pinocchio was walking out of his quarters at the other end of the hall at the most inopportune moment; he caught the tail end of the display of affection and could only stare on. Not because it was something he'd never seen, or thought public displays of affection gross, or was just surprised that they finally found vacant quarters to be together in.

No, it was merely because he was jealous. He watched the two men look at each other with such passion, passion that rivaled his Queen and the White Princess. Passion that could only seem to take place in a story, but somehow manifested between two real people.

He'd had that once. He'd had that passion. But he'd lied about who he was. And then when he told her he wasn't who she thought, he lied again. And since all he seemed to be able to do was lie to her, he walked away. He wasn't the good boy, the good man he'd promised his father and the blue fairy he'd become.

He looked down as he stuffed his key in his pocket. Maybe he could make up for it. Maybe she would understand, possibly even to the point that she could forgive him. Maybe she would let him in just enough to let him show her how much he had changed. How much he tried to make up for the fact that he let her down. Twice. Maybe more times than he knew.

Maybe after watching his best friend go through all he'd gone through and be left to raise a child alone. Maybe after helping raise her, seeing the father's pain dead-on, maybe he had finally found perspective.

Maybe, just maybe, she would speak with him.

He turned, digging his key from his pocket and made his way back into his quarters. He knew he had packed away some traveling dust, just in case he got the urge. He gave the vial a hopeful look before he sprinkled some over his head.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Okay, little girl." Jefferson carried his toddler into her bedroom. "Time for bed."

"But Daddy, I don't want to go to bed. I'm the Queen."

Jefferson smiled, "You know very well that you're not the Queen anymore. But you were a very good Queen." He said as a side note. "You didn't let any of the court members push you around. You told them 'No'. You did everything you were supposed to do, Munchkin."

Grace smiled, "I did. I membered what Aunt Regina always does and I did dat."

"That's my girl." Jefferson put her in bed and pulled her covers over her.

"Did she tell you how regal she was as a queen, Sir Jefferson?"

Jefferson turned, "Delaney." He smiled to the girl's nanny, "She was just relaying events."

"Good." She started for the door.

"Please. Stay. I'm just putting her down." He gestured to Grace.

Delaney nodded, "Alright."

"Daddy?" Grace said through a big yawn.

"Yes, pumpkin?"

"Is Emma really going to let the court push her around?"

Jefferson looked off to the side, "I don't think so." He pursed his lips, "Emma always seems to be about 13 steps ahead of everyone else. Wouldn't you say?"

Grace nodded, "She's sneaky and smart. I didn't know she had even beened here before!"

Jefferson smiled, "I know!" he tickled her a moment before tucking her in, "I think that Emma is just letting the court think they are getting their way."

Grace looked up in thought, "Wow… That is smart."

"And sneaky." Delaney added before turning off Grace's lights and waiting for Jefferson to come to the living room.

~0~0~0~0~0~

The Genie retired to his room just after the White Princess and the Shadow Queen disappeared. He moved to his carpet at the center of his living room. Everyone always asked him why he didn't want a coffee table to set over it, and he always brushed them off. He wasn't going to tell them that the carpet was magical, that would just be one more thing he would have to worry about.

He sat down at the carpet's center and flicked some leftover dust from its corner. The carpet came to life and moved the Genie around in a circle as if asking where it should take him.

"You know where." He told the carpet. And in a flash, they were off.

A trip that should have taken them days—weeks to complete took a mere matter of minutes. He knocked on the door of the large cabin hidden in the side of the Grecian mountain and waited.

Soon the toddle of a child was seen in the low lights inside and the door opened. The little girl's hair was pulled into pigtails and she wore purple pajamas. She looked up and her wary features were overtaken with delight, "Daddy!"

"Hello, Amelia." Genie smiled down to the girl.

The seven-year-old tugged on Genie's hand and brought him inside. After locking the door, she jumped into her father's arms, "Why were you gone so long this time?"

"Well, my darling, the Dark One and Cora kidnapped one of Regina's competitors… I had to stay to help her."

Amelia held onto her daddy's face as she listened, "I guess that's okay." She turned to look into her house more, "Momma? Daddy's home."

Amelia's mother was leaning against the walkway between the open living room and the kitchen, "Hello, Genie."

Genie gazed at the woman before him with a slightly lazy smile, "Calliope." He set his daughter on the ground and walked over to her mother, hugging the beautiful woman, "I'm sorry I—"

"I know why." Calliope assured, pulling back a bit, taking his face. "I'm a Muse for heavens' sakes. Not only that, but I'm the Muse of Epic Poetry." She smirked and moved away from him, going to the kitchen to make all of them a snack.

"Just what does that mean? That you are the Muse of Epic Poetry? What's that to do with where I was?"

Calliope turned with a grin, "You know, what it means, darling."

"Emma's gonna be an Epic, daddy." Amelia felt the need to clarify for her father.

"Is that what it means?" He grinned to the girl before picking her up again, settling on the counter barstool with her and looking over to his lover.

"Yes." Calliope turned around, "Though, I think she is going to be my simplest, least complicated story."

"The White Princess? Simple?"

Calliope went back to her task as she spoke, "Well, darling, she's a Pure One, and therefore needed to remain Pure. She's not like the others; she's going to commit a crime of any kind. She's not Oedipus; she's not going to kill her mother and sleep with her father—vice versa in the real epic's case. She's not Rama, she won't make Regina walk through fire to see if she did in fact sleep with Ravana, then reject after she comes out clean. She's definitely not Gilgamesh. The gods won't need to create an Enkidu, a grotesque counterpart for her to challenge her and show her that a hero isn't one who takes girl's purity, and is a glutton for food, and is greedy and prideful and envious and—well, all of the fifteen evils."

She turned back around and set sandwiches in front of her lover and their daughter and placed another next to them as she walked around to sit. "She's simply a Pure One that fell in love with an amazing woman that overcame so much in her life. She'll fight to the death, take any beating and murder anything that threatens her love or any of the people she cares for. She's flawed, sure, but nothing like my early epics. The worst that's happened, and will happen is that flirtation with Maleficent." The Muse waved that incident off.

"You just couldn't resist yourself, could you?" Genie chuckled as he took in Calliope's reaction. He picked up his sandwich, "Does she have a happy ending?"

Calliope gave her man a serious look, "That, I don't know yet."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Gustave had wandered around for the majority of the afternoon. He, like a few others did eventually go to his bedchamber to catch up on sleep, but he woke up hungry long after dinner had come and gone.

He made his way into the kitchen and tried to subtly poke around for a snack.

"Sir Gustave!" Kendall walked in from the yard with an apron filled of homegrown vegetables. She set them on the counter and looked to the knight, "What are you doing in the kitchen?"

"Well, I've found myself hungry, and I figured the kitchen would be a good place to look…" He smiled.

"Sir Gustave!" Gwyneth made her way into the kitchen as well, "You missed dinner."

"I did." He nodded. He took detailed note on the dreamy look in the best friends' eyes.

"Sit." Gwyneth patted one of the chairs at kitchen's table.

Gustave smiled at the woman and sat down.

Gwyneth placed her hands on his shoulders and squeezed comfortingly, "We'll get you some leftovers."

Kendall, who had already started up the stove, made her way over with a snack tray. "Here." She put some cheese on a cracker and fed it to him, giving her friend a warning look, "It's the best cheese you've ever tasted, right? The Queen has impeccable taste in all things including the simplest of foods." She wiped her thumb across his bottom lip and smiled, "Crumb." She said by way of excuse.

Gustave suddenly lost his appetite as he looked between the two lovely kitchen workers. "You're beautiful." He stood and looked to Kendall, taking her cheek with one hand before turning to Gwyneth, "The both of you… exquisite." He smiled as he took Gwyneth's cheek with his free hand. "Just how deep does your friendship run?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Dunstan had gone to the library that evening. There he saw Queens Belle and Red. Though they looked as though they might be needing to find a room, or at the very least a dark corner sooner rather than later.

He smiled their way after he caught their eyes and they caught his, then he moved down the closest isle. All of it seemed to be over dance. He saw a book over the forbidden dances and just stared at the spine.

His mind wandered back to the only reason he was eliminated from the competition. Not that he still wanted to be in the competition. Even though he guessed he was at this point once more. But, the book made him remember that he'd never gone out and lived before this competition.

He'd remembered passing by a tavern that Artie said had good dancing when they first embarked to find Emma. At the time he wanted to scold the youngest prince, but realized, the boy was trying to keep his mind occupied. He stared for about four more seconds of debate before he strutted his way out of the library.

He was going dancing. Who knows? Maybe he would even find a girl, fall in love and have his life changed forever in that one night.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Dunstan was not wrong about Belle and Red. In fact, after they watched him walk out, Red smirked and leaned in to her wife, nipping at her neck.

"Darling!" Belle's voice was high pitched and surprised as she tried to push the other woman away, but Red refused and pushed her into a darker isle before pushing her against the wall of books. "Darling!" This time Belle moaned the endearment, turned on to the point that it could rival their honeymoon night.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Maleficent and Aurora went back to their guest bedchamber. They napped for a long while. It was actually Aurora who woke up first. She sat up and looked over the other woman before she let her fingers roam over curly, frizzy blonde locks and finally began tracing the features she'd fallen so tragically in love with.

She giggled at her own thoughts.

"What's so funny?" Maleficent opened an eye and looked at the girl.

"Nothing. Well…" Aurora smiled and waited to see the other woman's eyes, "Tragically."

Maleficent raised questioning brows, "Tragically?"

"That's how in love with you I am, Phyllipina."

Maleficent swallowed the lump that swiftly made its presence known. She nodded as she sat up and took her princess's face, "That's a good word." She swallowed again, letting her hands fall to the other woman's shoulders, then waist as she pulled her into her lap to hold onto her tight.

Aurora nodded, and smiled as sinewy arms made their way around her body. She took her love's face, soothingly tracing the apples of her cheeks back and forth, just staring in her eyes. She pressed her forehead against the other woman's, "Phyl?"

"Yes, Briar Rose?"

"I think that it's time for you to make love to me."

Maleficent choked out a laugh, "Is that what time it is?"

"Yes. I'm all here now. Just a little different, but I can feel it all again. And I need to feel you again."

Maleficent stared into the depths of Aurora's eyes, "I have been waiting for this day far too long."

"As have I." Aurora smiled and kissed the other woman.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Regina and Emma had made a cocoon in front of the Shadow Queen's burning fireplace in the bedroom. Rather, they somehow ended up in a cocoon in front of Regina's burning fireplace after they woke up and made all kinds of love from the heated, passionate kind; to the 'I never thought I'd see you again' kind; to the slow, delicate kind.

They were both happily, gloriously naked. Regina was sitting astride her princess's lower back, giving her a massage, watching the firelight catch the snowdrop diamond on her finger in the most brilliant ways. She had a lazy smile on her face as she leaned down and kissed Emma's spine between her shoulder blades.

"Mm." Emma grunted before pushing up a bit, signaling she was turning over. Regina stayed astride the blonde and now sat her hips. They stared at each other, relishing the other's look. Emma's hands found their way to Regina's hips, thumbing over the bones, "I love you, Regina Maria Mills."

"I love you, Emma Louise Swan White."

"I'm gonna marry you one day."

Regina swallowed hard with sigh and a nod, "You are."

Emma pushed up so that she was sitting, she caught her lover before she fell backward and held her tight, kissing and nipping her neck.

Regina leaned back a bit more, breaking contact with Emma's lips, grabbing the tumbler they'd put next to the fireplace and took a sip of cider. Emma stared at her with focused, dilated eyes the whole time. She watched the liquid move down the woman's throat and her stare moved back to her eyes. Regina only smirked before placing the edge of the glass against Emma's lips letting the blonde drink as well. After Regina set the glass back down, Emma moved up to kiss the woman's lips one or twelve times.

Regina giggled as she pulled from her lover, "Emma?" She tilted her head as she held onto the blonde's jaw to keep her attacker at bay.

"Yes, my love?"

"Why did you agree to start the whole thing over again?"

**AN: Some of you are going to kill me for not answering the one question we all had… Next chapter! I promise! Thoughts and feels? Read and Review, please!**


	25. Chapter 25

"Your majesty?" The Genie waited at Regina's door.

A thud, a muffled giggle, and a few footfalls later and Regina was at the door a robe clenched tight around her, her hair standing on end, obviously saying, 'I've been having glorious sex all week along', "Genie, hello." She covered her mouth with her first three fingers to keep from giggling.

The Genie did his very best to hide his smirk, "Your majesty…" He started, almost breaking into an amused grin, but he controlled himself. His pause for breath gave him time to cover his amusement, "Tomorrow is Friday."

"And?" Regina pushed hair from her face.

"And the court announced that it's the new start of the competition."

"The court announced…? Why the hell would the court announce that?"

"Because that is when the White Princess said everyone would be recuperated."

Regina rolled her eyes, "Of course." She nodded once, recalling the words falling from her lover's lips, "She did." She started to turn into her quarters once more.

"Your Majesty?"

"Yes, Genie?" She looked back to him.

"Would you please let the princess know that I am unsure of how to make an armband as she described…? And that the other contenders wish to see her as soon as she is available?"

"Of course, Genie." Regina nodded with a sigh, "Tell everyone that we'll be in the library in two hours."

"Yes, your majesty." He gave the woman a bow before starting to walk away.

"Oh, Genie?" Regina waited for the other man to turn, "Did you go for a carpet ride?"

The Genie had told Regina of his lover and his child. He told her why they stayed separated for the time being, which she refused to understand, but did her best to be okay with the fact that he had made a promise, a true, unwavering promise that he would be there for Regina until he wasn't needed. And in the meantime, until they could find an easier solution, a 'carpet ride' was code for a visit to the two other women in his life. He smiled her way, "I did."

"I can see from the smile that everything is good?"

The Genie nodded, "Lovely."

Regina gave the man a closed mouth, happy smile before she moved back into her quarters. She moved back to her bedroom and found that her lover was not there.

"Emma?"

Emma poofed back into the bedroom, still naked, carrying clothes. "Oh… You're done talking already?"

"Did you poof naked to your assigned quarters?"

"I…. yes?"

Regina gave her princess an offended look, "You let others see your naked body? Your naked body is only for me."

Emma's brows rose in delight, "Well, my naked body was not exposed to anyone else's eyes. I went to my bedroom to grab clothes. It's not like I walked down the hall in all my glory."

"Glory it is." Regina let her eyes dance around Emma's body.

Emma chuckled as she threw her clothes on a chair, "You are so cheeky this morning." She shook her head.

Regina smiled as she walked over to her lover, "I get it from you." She kissed the blonde's lips.

Emma smiled back, "I know."

Regina kissed her again before pulling away, "We need to get ready and eat breakfast."

"Why?"

"Tomorrow is the new start of the games."

"Already?"

"Yes."

"Well… Can I—?"

"No."

"How about—?"

"No."

"Regina?" Emma watched the brunette make her way to the bathroom, the queen in her already preparing for going out in public again.

"Yes?"

"I love you." The blonde spoke softly.

This made Regina's shoulders drop and turn to look at her from the doorway, "I love you too, darling."

"I'm gonna hold your hand today." Emma gave her a serious look, "I might even kiss your cheek."

Regina looked to the side in debate before turning back to the blonde, "I'll let you." She gave her a cheeky grin before moving to the bathroom, "Shall we take one last shower before we face the world again?"

Emma nodded happily, "We shall!"

~0~0~0~0~0~

The White Princess and the Shadow Queen didn't realize how long they took in the shower until they were out and dressed. Emma's hand had laced with the Shadow Queen's as they walked the halls and made their way inside the library.

They were the last to the library when they'd planned to be the first. Literally they were the last of the people that could be allowed to the secret meeting. Everyone from little Grace, Delaney and Jefferson to Ariel and Eric to Danielle and Henry; every last royal, contender and advisor was there.

"Well as I live and breathe. There she is, that daughter of mine, whom I've missed dearly." Charming said as soon as the both of them walked into the library. He spoke loud enough for the few people around him to hear, but not loud enough to garner attention from everyone. He and his wife walked a few paces away from the rest of the congregated royals, advisors and contenders.

The way her father moved from the crowd, told Emma that she needed to placate him. She dropped Regina's hand as she made her way over to him and her mother. "Sorry, Daddy, I was…busy." She said as she leaned in to hug him

Charming though, scooped her into his arms, finally getting the real hug he'd been wanting since they'd triumphed at the Dark One's hidden castle. He well knew that he'd hugged her there, but this was the hug he'd needed. "Busy doing things I hope to never hear about, I presume?" He asked.

Emma let out a laugh as she was pushed to her mother and gave her father a scolding look as she felt the blush rise in her cheeks, "Daddy…" She hugged her mother tight, "Hi, Momma."

"Hello, little girl." Snow smiled in the hug.

"Hello, grandmother." Emma reached her hand out in the hug to the undead woman.

Eva smiled and took the hand, "Hello, granddaughter."

Emma released her mother and let go of her grandmother's hand before she gave them both and her father a smile. She turned, taking Regina's hand once more then the both of them made their way to the front of the crowd.

"Well… How nice to see you both." Maleficent let out a knowing, slightly evil chuckle. "Haven't seen you all week."

"Yes, Maleficent, tell me, what are you still doing here?" Regina gave the other woman a playful look. "Don't you have a castle of your own?"

Aurora spoke before Maleficent could, "Phyl and I don't like the Forbidden Mountain. Bad things happen there."

"And you like it here, Aurora?" Emma clarified as she moved Regina's hand to her other and placed her now free hand on the brunette's lower back.

"Oh yes. We like it a lot more. And we'll like it even more in weeks to come." She gave the White Princess a happy grin.

Emma could only smile back.

"What's all that? What does she know?" Chip asked Emma then looked to Aurora, looked to the source of information, "What do you know?"

All the Morpheus Princess did was smile, but Maleficent quickly raised her hand when she saw her lover was going to say nothing, "Oh, I know."

"Phyllipina!" Aurora scolded. "This is Emma and Regina's time. And before you roll your eyes, let me already start to remind you that Emma put our hearts back in our chests."

Maleficent merely pursed her lips and looked at the Shadow Queen and White Princess to start talking.

Emma knit her brows, "How do you know?" she stared at her great-aunt.

Maleficent pointed to her ladylove, "She told me."

"Oh, of course. And if she knows then that means grandmother knows." Emma looked to Eva who only smiled as a response, "Well, this is going to be far less surprising and climactic…"

"What is?" Artie asked. "Are we out of the competition? Can it just not happen?" he was almost excited.

"Yes, I think I speak for every contender when I say, 'This is ludicrous. I am not going to compete for Regina's hand. I'd rather overthrow this government and let you both get the show on the road.'" Alexander's sarcasm made everyone in the room smirk and try to keep their laughter at bay.

Emma put her hands up to calm them, "Gentlebros, please…" She gave them all a look, "Calm down." She smiled, "It will be all right. Come." She finally let go of her ladylove and gestured to the table in front of her, asking them to gather at the front table. "I just need to grab a book."

The White Princess walked over to the wall of books and tried to remember where she'd last seen the one she wanted. She knew it was in the top row, on the west wall, but she wasn't quite sure where. As she pondered she felt herself begin to hover, rather she noticed the shelves were moving then noticed it was actually her floating in the air.

Emma turned and looked down at the awed looks of the royals, advisors and contenders, "Well, this is a convenient new trick. I've never floated before…" She turned back and started looking to the book titles before it finally caught her eye. "Aha! 'The Ins and Outs of the Traditional Battle Royale'." She plucked the book from its home and floated back down as she looked at the table of contents then, after a quick consult with the index, she flipped to the appropriate page. "Here. Read that." She told the men at the table.

Arely decided to read aloud for the class, "'Should all but one contender willingly forfeit, the one contender will be named 'winner'.'"

The rest of the room's curious faces formed devious smirks.

Alexander chuckled as he read a bit more of the page, "It's right in between, 'Should all contenders forfeit, please refer to page 691.' And, 'Should all but two contenders willingly forfeit, the two will be put to 'the ring' for a 'sudden death'—should death actually commence, please refer to page 432.'"

After reading all of the men looked back up to the White Princess with big grins.

"So, all we do is formally forfeit and you're pronounced the winner?" Gustave asked. He looked to his king and queen, "I'll have to ruin the sanctity of my knighthood if you say I must compete." He earned a chuckle from a few of the royals.

Henry swatted the air, "Are you joking? I can't wait to see the looks on the arrogant bastards' faces."

"Henry." Danielle scolded his word choice before deciding he was right, "My husband does have a point…"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma was the first one there. She walked along the corridor that all the contenders were to meet in. It led to the stadium floor. She didn't suit up for the battle. She didn't have any weapons with her, not even her axe. The only thing she had to show that she was 'competing' was the armband she'd ended up creating so as not to trouble the Genie (and to see if she could make something like she'd described to the court).

She wore a simple white shirt under an even simpler grey shirt, tight denim pants that had only recently been introduced to the lands called 'jeans', brown boots, and a jacket that had been specially made for her by the Shadow Queen's seamstress. The seamstress had died the leather blue, in honor of Emma being a Pure One, and it was lined with white and grey stripes. It was insanely comfortable; and she could tell Regina thought she looked _good_.

She took a breath and closed her eyes. The last time she'd gone out onto the arena, she'd been kidnapped. This time though, she was going to win her Shadow Queen.

She felt eyes piercing her back and looked to find Chip studying her. She smiled when she saw him equally as casual. She looked down the hall to find the rest of the contenders. They all seemed rather blasé. They were all comfortable, casual. They all wore jackets with their nations' signs, and as a happy coincidence, all of the jackets were leather.

The cheering of the crowd caught her attention and her heart began pounding as nerves surfaced. She stared at all of them a moment longer, and if her mind wasn't concentrating on her racing heartbeat and the rhythm of the crowd, she'd note just how hot and sexy they all were.

But her mind was concentrating on her racing heartbeat and the rhythm of the crowd. She closed her eyes as she thought about what was to come. She had been instructed all too many times at this point of what exactly was going to happen by Regina, by all six of the advisors. Separately. Her parents, her grandmother—even her great-aunt and the Briar Rose, and of course, the court all told her what was going to come. Even though most of them knew that she'd literally read the book on the subject, she was still tortured with the trivial rules of the Battle.

Each contender was going to be introduced—rather, re-introduced. They were going to stand in a line at the center of the arena in the order of which they are called. She was going to be checked for her armband multiple times before the battle started, during a small Q&A period, and, of course, as the battle 'commenced'.

Regina had magicked a microphone, an object that most of the other countries already had more than enough of, for the announcer. And as he tapped on it, the thud echoed throughout the stadium, Emma knew it was time.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. Thank you for coming out today. As you well have heard, our good contenders and our lovely Queen have defeated the Dark one and his mistress. There will be no interruption from them for the start of this new competition. The Queen welcomes you and hopes that you enjoy the second first battle of the Battle Royale for her hand." He waited for applause and cheers to die down before he continued, "Well, without further adieu, let us bring out the contestants!" Another loud applause.

The announcer inhaled and looked around, "Please welcome from Far, Far Away, Prince Artie. He, as you may recall, is representing his cousins King Shrek and Queen Fiona, and was one of the final four in the original competition. His favorite thing to do when not representing his country is dance. He's been dubbed 'Lord of the Dance' by the other competitors."

Artie knit his brows at the last part, giving the other contenders and odd look. "Did you guys say something to him?" He asked questioningly.

The other seven simply shook their heads; and he could tell by their confusion that they were truthful.

The applause didn't seem to die. He shrugged as he walked out. He looked at the crowd as he went and saw signs that said, 'Lord of the Dance', 'Twinkle Toes', and 'Artie I Love You!'—or similar phrases of the same meaning.

The announcer settled the crowd, "From the Eastern Kingdom of the Enchanted Forest, Prince Alexander!" He applauded with the crowd, "Alexander is representing his parents, King Thomas and Queen Ella, and his sister, Princess Alexandra. He too was one of the final four in the original competition. Alexander enjoys designing his own clothes and a nice table setting."

Everyone still in the corridor laughed as they turned to Alexander.

"What? I mean I do, but… What?" Alexander said.

"He's only got a list full of rumors for us all. Whether they're true or not, ignore him. He's an ignoramus." Patrick patted his back.

Alexander gave his lover a look before he sighed and walked out of the corridor to the arena. He too got a few signs of love and a couple that asked him to marry the girls holding them. He could only chuckle at that.

"And from the Kingdom of France, Sir Gustave. He is representing his King and Queen, King Henry and Queen Danielle. He is one of the two knights in the competition. When not representing his country, Gustave likes piña coladas, getting caught in the rain, making love at midnight and… cooking."

"Now, now. I like making love at all times of the day…" Gustave said as he commanded every part of his body not to laugh at the announcer. But soon as he walked out to the crowd's cheering, he couldn't help his laughter as he repeated the announcer's words in his head. He waved and laughed the entire way to his spot.

"From the Caspian Lands, let's hear it for Prince Arely. Arely represents his fathers, Kings Eric and Ariel, and his sister Princess Melody. Arely thinks himself a pirate and has had the unbridled pleasure of kissing a mermaid and living to tell the tale."

Arely rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Really? Where is he getting this stuff?"

"Probably just listened to the workers' gossip around the castle. But at least half of this seems to be real…" Chip said as he clapped the other prince on the shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah." Arely turned, put a smile on his face and waved. He saw girl after girl, some of whom he was pretty sure he'd bedded, trying to get his attention. But for some reason, none of them seemed appealing.

"From the Southern Kingdom of the Enchanted Forest, please welcome once again, Sir Patrick. He is representing his king and queen, King Edward and Queen Nancy. Patrick is one of the most gallant knights in all the lands; when not representing his kingdom, he enjoys camping and fishing, a regular outdoorsman."

Emma caught his eye, "Do you really?" He simply chuckled and nodded as he made his way out of the entrance, "Does Alexander know this and go along?"

Patrick turned around and gave her a look, "Do you think Alexander would go camping unless camping constituted a guest cabin near a lake? And still, do you think he would actually go fishing?"

Emma laughed, "You're argument is valid."

Patrick smirked then turned back around with a smile and made his way to his spot. Garnering cheers as he went.

"From Stormhold, give it up for Prince Dunstan. Dunstan is representing his still young and beautiful grandparents, King Tristan and Queen Yvaine. Dunstan was eliminated from the last competition because he didn't know the forbidden dances. But don't fret ladies, he's a quick learner, he learned them all in a half hour and can dance circles around anyone now."

Dunstan blushed, this caught Emma and Chip's attention. "Dunstan?" Chip asked as he watched him like a hawk—like a wolf. "Did you go out dancing without us?"

"Might have." Dunstan's blush amplified.

"And are you blushing because you didn't include us, or because you met someone that taught you how dance those circles around everyone?" Emma asked.

Dunstan ignored the princess and walked out waving. He looked over the posters, just like the other men, but a pair of big, deep teal eyes caught his attention. He tried not to blush anymore so as not to set off alarms from the freakishly perceptive two people he'd left to walk to his spot.

"You think that's her? The one that looks like a gypsy?" Emma asked Chip.

"Definitely." Chip nodded. "Way to go Dunstan."

"Indeed."

Chip whipped his head to his friend and gave her a look.

"What? I can look, I just can't stare or even consider touching…"

Chip nodded, smirking at the pure one as she stated the rules of what she was and was not allowed to do around other women.

"From the Western Kingdom of the Enchanted Forest, put your hands together for Prince Chip. Chip is representing his mothers, Queens Red and Belle. Over the course of the last competition, of which he was never eliminated, Chip proved himself to be the delightful surprise. Ladies, he's strong and noble and loyal to a fault… And single. For the time being." The announcer forgot that he was announcing a competition for his queen's hand. Again.

"Well, I guess this is it." Chip said.

"I guess it is." Emma leaned into the werewolf and hugged him, "Thanks for everything you've done for me. You really are loyal to a fault."

"You deserve my loyalty." He grinned a boyish grin before walking out of the corridor to his spot next to Dunstan. He kept his grin as he waved to the crowd. A woman's brazier came awfully close to his feet and he did his best not to react or blush.

"WOAH!" Emma said as she watched the booby-holder fly onto the floor. After recovering from that little incident, she decided to have a little fun. "That's it, Chip. Work it. You have women throwing their bras at you. Show them what they're missing. Make them want you more."

When the werewolf turned back to give her a glare, she merely laughed and continued, "Strut your stuff, Chip! Show them all your sweet little hiney I know you have because Regina would not shut up about its nakedness a couple nights ago." This made the prince blush as he took his place next to Dunstan.

Dunstan caught this and glanced to the corridor to see Emma grinning. He kept his smile as he glanced to Chip, "Is she saying something to make you blush?"

"In short… Yes."

Dunstan nodded, "Figures." He chuckled as he looked around the stadium again and found teal eyes once more.

The announcer's voice broke into the applause, "Finally, from the Northern Kingdom of the Enchanted Forest, the surprising, the female, Princess Emma. Emma represents her parents, King Charming and Queen Snow. She is the only woman in the competition. If she wins, history will be made for the Shadow Lands. She was the fourth and final competitor that wasn't eliminated from the original competition. Her favorite dessert is chocolate cake. And, in case you've not been kept in the loop, she's the Pure One that first was kidnapped, then along with the Shadow Queen, saved us all from The Dark One and his mistress."

Emma chuckled as she walked out. She waved and garnered a riotous applause. She swiftly made her way to her spot and raised her other arm, the arm with the armband tied on it, looking directly to the court, giving them a fake smile.

"Alright. Settle down. Settle." The announcer quieted the crowd. "The Shadow Queen has a few words to say."

Regina stepped up to the microphone, "Afternoon my good people." She started, "I don't want to take away from the competition, but I wanted to explain what will happen before the battle actually commences. The court has chosen two questions. For each question, the competitors will come up and answer it one at a time. After both questions have been answered, the court will choose to either eliminate one contestant before the battle, or two will be eliminated during the battle." She looked down to the competitors, "So, to the eight of you, I have two words," She smirked, almost breaking her character, "Good luck." Over her years, she'd gotten really good at lying to the court. And that's all she was doing; she was just putting on a show.

"Thank you, your majesty." The announcer said as he took the mic over once more. He then looked down to the court, "Shall I proceed?" He waved the paper that had the questions written on it.

The more prominent members of the court waved their allowance before he started, "Alright. The first question for each of you: Why do you deserve the Shadow Queen's hand?"

Artie looked down the line and gave Emma wink before muttering to Alexander, "Were they making this as easy as possible?"

Alexander chuckled, "They had to have been." He joked.

Artie moved to the microphone that was placed a few feet in front of the center of their line. "I don't." He said simply, "I don't deserve the Shadow Queen's hand. I respect her, sure, but I don't love her like a partner should. I never will. I'm young and flighty. I've actually come here today to forfeit my position in the competition."

A collective gasp was heard throughout the arena before it went silent. No one wanted to miss what they were all positive was a collective withdrawal form the competition.

Artie ignored the intense silence as he stepped back to his spot in the line.

Alexander walked up, "Like Artie, I respect the Shadow Queen, but I do not love her in the way she deserves. I too have come here today to forfeit my position in the competition."

Alexander stepped back. He glanced to Gustave who gave him a nod of thanks.

The knight then came forward, "I was eliminated the first time around for a reason. I forfeit my position in the competition. I don't deserve her."

"Now hold on a moment!" One of the court members stood up. He was ignored as Gustave moved back to his place in line and Arely came forward.

The Caspian Prince took a breath as he quickly considered his words, "I was the first to be eliminated because quite frankly, I couldn't keep it in my pants." He waited for the not-so-surprised gasps and chuckles to die down, "Do I really deserve to be king here? I don't deserve my own kingdom. I withdraw my position in this competition."

He turned giving the competitors a cheesy grin as he traded places with Patrick.

Patrick took a breath as he stepped forward. No commoner knew of his and Alexander's love and if they did, they kept it private. He knew that he was not outing his lover, but only himself. He took another breath, "I'm queer. I once used the phrase 'scream rainbows and piss butterflies' whilst speaking with the White Princess, trying to deflect my true self by passing it on to her. I am so queer that I really do scream rainbows and piss butterflies. I'd never be able to give an heir because I'd never be able to bring myself to lay with the Queen no matter how gorgeous she truly is, and let's be honest. She's the kind of beautiful that makes us all weak in the knees. I prefer a different kind of queen." He chuckled, "I withdraw my place in the competition." He turned to find the competitors giving him a round of applause. He gave his lover a wink as he walked back to his place.

Dunstan continued clapping with the audience and the other competitors for Patrick. He started to make his way forward, but turned, looked to the other man and smiled, "You are an incredibly brave man." He turned back to the audience as he finished his way to the mic, "Whoever told the announcer that I can now dance circles around any of you must have forgotten to mention that I met a lovely woman that taught me how to dance those circles. I'm not willing to let a competition I was already eliminated from get in the way of possibility. What kind of possibility? I'm not exactly sure, but I do know that there is possibility." He glanced to those teal eyes once more, "I'm taking myself out of the competition." He stepped back.

Chip started forward, but Lord Big Shnoz had made it to the announcer's post and grabbed the mic, "Prince Chip don't say a word! You cannot withdraw from the competition!"

"You'll find, _Sir_, and you'll understand that I'm using that form of address loosely," Chip stared at the man, "that I can." he gave the man a serious look, "I withdraw from the competition, _Sir_." He smirked, "See? It was that easy." He gave Emma a cocky smile as he made his way back to his spot.

Emma gave him a grin in return and moved coolly to the mic.

"Go ahead, Princess, make a mockery of the Battle Royale like the rest of your opponents." Lord Big Shnoz said as if the entire thing had been a game between him and the competitors and he'd lost, which it was and he had, but the game wasn't quite over.

"No." Emma spoke into the mic, "I'd rather answer the question…" She looked up to her queen as the crowd collectively gasped to the point of dancing on combustion, "I deserve the Shadow Queen's hand. I should not have to give a reason for it. Every last one of you know it to be true. But if you need reasons…"

She shrugged taking a breath, "I'm in love with her. It's real love. True love. That go to the ends of each and every world and realm, fight to the death, annoy her, make her happy, fight with her, make up with her; can't eat, can't sleep, reach for the stars, make a family, fall in love deeper everyday kind of love. That forever rid the world of the only people that've managed to hurt you—or at least rid the world of them for the next 10,000 years."

She chuckled and took a breath as she sobered, "And, probably the most important and beneficial reason I can give for you, the court members, is that I'm a Pure One. You will know that this kingdom will always be protected. I will make sure of that." She nodded once and waited a moment before she remembered something else, "And also… I'm utterly adorable." She gave them a cheeky smile and waited for a response of some kind.

When nothing happened, not even applause—everyone seemed to be waiting with bated breath—she spoke again, "I'm ready for the next question… Or… since I'm the only competitor left, you could just give me my damn medal now and get the show over with…" She gave the court another cheeky smile.

Regina stood from her seat and walked down the steps, regal as ever, as she dangled the medal from her wrist. After she passed them, she gave the court a glance over her shoulder, "I don't know why you people still make me go in circles. You should know by now, I don't always get what I want, but when I try, I always get what I need."

"Yes, my queen, you do." Lord Van Dyke said as she passed him by. She turned and gave him her attention. He simply smiled and gave her a wink, "Congratulations, your majesty."

Regina smiled and took the old man's hand, "Thank you, Lord Van Dyke." She turned and continued on.

The crowd seemed to collectively stand as they watched Regina make her way down the rest of the stairs to the gate that led to the floor.

It took everything inside her not to run into sinewy arms and hug her princess. Instead, she took a couple of deep breaths as she made her way, at a regal pace, to where the Princess stood. She took the ribbon the medal was attached to and opened it, holding it up. Emma bowed her head and let the medal be placed around her neck.

"Congratulations, Princess." The Shadow Queen said by way of formality. "You've won the Battle Royale."

Emma smiled as she flipped her hair from under the thick ribbon that held the medal and gave Regina a grin, "I'm gonna kiss you now."

"I'll let you." Regina smiled back.

Emma took Regina's face and gave her the beginnings of the simplest of kisses. Soon though, her arms fell around the brunette's waist and she picked her up, twirling her around like all the romance novels told her to do. She'd bet her sword that Regina's foot-popped during the kiss. When they pulled back from each other, they finally realized just how loud the applause was. It was deafening. They couldn't hear anything, and they could hear everything.

They knew that in that moment, they were going to get their happily ever after.

**AN: There. All better. There's a "House" Easter Egg in this one for you "House" fans. I hope someone can tell me what it is! There are more to come as well. Well, there will now be 27 chapters for sure, but the Epilogue will probably be broken into 2-3 parts. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**Thoughts and feels? Read and Review, please!**


	26. Chapter 26

**AN: My guest, 'em' and Gemilh were the only people to get the quiz question that wasn't actually in question format so much as it was in a couple of exclamation points from the last chapter. The "House" Easter Egg was Regina telling the court that she can't get what she wants, but she gets what she needs. In the Pilot on "House" and various episodes throughout, the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is played and quoted. Congratulations you two! Brownie points!**

**Now, onto the wedding!**

Regina, after finally kissing her love for all to see, after finally letting the world know of her and Emma's love, turned to the mic. She settled the raging crowd and looked around, "The competition is finally over. Thank you all for being here, always with bells on." She smiled to her citizens genuinely, "Even after the last time you came, and the Dark One and my mother decided to give us all a good scare." She looked down in thought before shaking her head, getting to her point, "You will have another queen by next week's end."

A thunderous applause broke out and Regina turned back to Emma, taking her hand and poofing them out of the stadium.

"Next week's end?" Emma asked as she and Regina were walking down a corridor to Regina's study no doubt, so they could get a head start on all the royals and advisors that were sure to bombard them with questions.

Regina simply moved into the room and around her desk. She almost sat down before she remembered a book she needed that she kept on the bookcase in the room.

"Regina?" Emma placed her hands on her hips as she watched the Shadow Queen grab a book, turn, think better, and grab another then move back around to her desk and take a seat. Emma licked the front of her teeth as she crossed her arms, "Regina?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Next week's end?"

"Yes, darling." Regina waved her hand producing spectacles, putting them on as she flipped one of the books open.

"Regina?"

"Yes, darling?"

"You have a lot to do in a week…"

"I know, dear."

"You have to plan the wedding, pick out a dress, decide what you're gonna make me wear, give me lots of sex like this past week—"

"I understand that." She held up both of her books, "Why do you think I'm looking through wedding and party books?"

"And you have to change the marriage law." Emma ended on a serious note.

"I know that too."

"You know that you have to do it before our wedding?"

Regina knit her brows, "Who says?"

"It's a technicality." Emma waved it off.

"A _technicality_?"

Emma nodded, "Yeah… did you not read the book? I gave it to you before we even started this whole 'Battle Royale' thing. I told you that we were going to need to memorize it cover to cover…" She glared suspiciously at her lover, "You thought you knew all the rules and didn't bother to ever even glance at 'The Ins and Outs of the Traditional Battle Royale', didn't you?"

Regina pursed her lips and looked to the side, "I might not have memorized it cover to cover, but I did memorize all the rules...! Just not the chapter about after the winner is selected…"

Emma moved forward, placing her hands on the desk as she looked to the woman. "Let me tell you this little bit from that section you didn't bother with." She waved her hand producing the book in question they'd left on a table in the library, and moved to the page she'd marked nearly a year before, "'If a woman—' That's me." She gave her lady lover a look as she pointed at herself, "'If a woman is let into the Battle and wins, the marriage laws of the country will need to be changed before the wedding can take place. The marriage of a royal must be legal, therefore the marriage laws must allow that of any homosexual partnership to be a legal marriage, if the partners so choose to commit to one another.'" Emma took a breath to continue, but Regina started talking.

"What about the fact that you _won_ the battle?"

Emma gave her woman a look, "If you would let me read, I could tell you…" After Regina rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair, clasping her hands, Emma found her spot once more, "Doo-doo-doo, 'if the partners so choose to commit to one another. As stated previously,'" Emma looked to Regina, "earlier in the section, I'm not reading you the entire chapter because my love, you should have already done so," She gave her lover a cheeky, scolding look, "'The winner of a Battle Royale has fought and proven themselves worthy of the queen and of the crown and of the country. All the other competitors did not. That rule does not change based on the gender of the winner. Because the woman won the battle and is therefore the most powerful in the competition, the law must be changed and the marriage must happen."

Emma shut the book and sat on the edge of the desk, looking to her lover, "It's just a technicality… The court _has_ to allow the law to change. They've no choice. It just has to happen before we wed."

Regina shut her wedding book and stood with a vengeance, "Well, let's get this over with, shall we?" She moved to the door of her study, into the hall, to find the royals making their way down the opposite end to congratulate and praise. Regina ignored this, "Genie!" She barked to her magical advisor as she passed them all by.

"Yes, my Queen?" Genie walked with her.

"Gather the court. Now." She said in a low, threatening tone as she made her way to the courtroom.

Emma stayed behind to do crowd control, "She's just realized that she has to change the law before we wed…"

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Lord Smith—"

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry, but I just don't think that we can pass this law at this time. It is—"

"Dare you interrupt our queen?" Lord Van Dyke stood from his seat and scowled to the man that always had to be at the front and always had to be seen and always, _always_ had to have his way. He was tired of it. He made his way slowly to the front to look at the man dead-on. As he straightened his form from using his too-short cane, he stood taller than the other man. He didn't need to be taller to command the respect of everyone in the room, but it sure didn't hurt. "Did you honestly just do that?"

"I—"

"I know for a fact that you did. I heard her say your name and she wasn't scolding you, she was trying to speak and you just interrupted her." Lord Van Dyke looked him up and down with disdain, "You sicken me." He turned to the entire court, "All of you sicken me. For the last 20 years or so, we haven't been running a country, we've been keeping the queen from doing so." He took a step and leant his cane against a nearby desk, "She held the Battle so we would stop griping about her need to get married."

He grinned and looked to his queen, "Granted, she let the White Princess in letting us think that she thought it laughable; she placated us every step of the way. But she hosted it; she hosted this competition for her hand even though she was already in love." He took a breath, "The White Princess won fair and square; she would have won fair and square if we'd kept the final four and put them to battle. She's a Pure One. And, as the White Princess said earlier, there should be no reservations for us, the members of the court on their marriage."

He looked around, "And whether you _agree_ that their marriage is sacred or not because of whatever you believe in or don't believe in, the fact remains that Emma won and the court needs to approve a law of homosexual marriage before they wed. It's not a theoretical discussion. It is just paperwork at this point."

Lord Smith was sitting quietly in his seat. Lord Van Dyke sighed as he shook his head before looking around the court, "Where are the legislative linguists?" He looked for hands raised and when he found them, he spoke again, "Get the damn law written. Get it written last week. Get it in front of us no later than tomorrow noon. Let us sign it and let it be done with it." He glared to Lord Smith as he grabbed his cane, "Interrupted his queen." He muttered, "No respect."

Regina stood, "This meeting is adjourned." She waited as the court filed out and caught up to Lord Van Dyke, "Lord Van Dyke." She called after him.

"Yes my queen?" He asked as he turned and stood taller once more.

"Do you need a longer cane?"

"The doctor tells me it wouldn't hurt, but I like this one." The smile he gave her masked his stubbornness.

Regina saw through it. She gave him a smirk, "I could lengthen that one, if you'd let me? You're such a tall, handsome man. You've been ducking around the last few years."

"I don't need to be seen and heard anymore."

Regina shook her head, "I suppose not. But you are my only court member that deserves it…" She gestured to his cane once more, "Please?"

He handed it over and watched as magic flowed through the cane, lengthening it. "Magic never gets old." He said after the queen handed it back to him, "It's always a pleasure to watch. Thank you, my queen." He said as he leaned against his cane easily now.

"You're welcome, Lord Van Dyke." She paused a moment, looking him over, debating in her head.

He looked around the now empty hall, "Is there anything else, your majesty?"

"You said back there that you haven't been running the country for the last 30 years, but you have been keeping me from running it. I'm not exactly sure of what happened for the 15 or so years my mother was in the throne, but I do know that for the last 15 years, I am constantly barreling over obstacles."

"Yes, obstacles that they make up for no better reason than to slow down what anyone that's been a peasant or knows the commoners knows to be the right move." He rolled his eyes.

"If you were in charge of the court, how would you control how the government ran?"

"I'd put it to the people. All major deals: taxes, healthcare, education, civil rights, foreign and domestic policies… I would ask the people what they think is right. I would take into consideration that there are people that shouldn't be voting based on mental health or education, but I would try to get perspective of what each regions wants. And I would form policies and laws to the better the majority of the country based on that information."

Regina pursed her lips and put a hand on his shoulder. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, "We shall talk after my wedding. I trust you'll keep this conversation to yourself?"

"Of course, my queen."

~0~0~0~0~0~

The end of the week came much sooner than Regina had anticipated, but, here she was in the dressing room closest to the garden getting ready to be married. Everything turned out beautifully.

The table linens and most of the decorations were beige; everything was taking place outside, so the green of the yard and garden accentuated everything nicely. Holly and the others managed a beautiful five-tier wedding cake. Beautiful on the outside, that was. She let Emma have this one thing—this one thing and letting her pick out her own wardrobe—and she let Holly die the cake batter different colors, so the inside would look like a rainbow of sorts.

She smiled at the perpetual child her love tended to be, and took a nervous breath as she put the three snowdrop flowers in the low side bun she'd opted for. She wore a lace, cap-sleeved mermaid style dress with a large keyhole back, showing an expanse of skin that would entice most everyone particularly her bride.

"You're beautiful." Eva smiled as she poked her head through the wall before walking into the room.

"Oh… thank you." Regina looked down and smiled. "Is it odd that the only thing I'm thinking of right now is that I don't have a mother or father to help me get ready like she does?"

Eva shook her head, "No. It's not odd at all. I thought you might be feeling this way. That's why I came in here. To ask if an undead grandmother of the other bride will do?"

Regina smiled at the other woman, "She would do wonderfully." She watched as Eva fixed the snowdrops in her hair. She tried opening her mouth a few times to ask her question, but she could never manage to get it out.

"Emma doesn't know that I have to leave soon. I figure I won't tell her until after your honeymoon. That way, you can have a honeymoon worth having."

Regina nodded as she took in the other woman's reasoning for not telling her granddaughter that she has to re-ascend to her plane, and changed the subject, "Why stay for Maleficent's wedding?"

"Because she's my sister, and no matter how much she tries to put me down and push me away, I'm still here for her."

"But you weren't… not when all that heart business was happening. Were you?"

Eva looked down, "I did everything I could. Everything I was capable of at the time." She paused and looked back up to Regina, "I didn't have the knowledge of how to come down here. I didn't even know it possible for me. I changed their evil minds from crushing Aurora's heart to dust in front of her when they took it from her chest for the second time. And I convinced them to halve her heart so that she would always remember how she felt for her Briar Rose. If they took her whole heart, she would have forgotten and she would have possibly killed her one true love…"

"You should tell her that." Regina stood and looked to the other woman, "That's one thing she should know you did for her."

Eva smiled a sad smile, "We'll see." Her smiled turned genuine as she looked Regina over, "I'd say you look like a bride."

"What's that tone? Does Emma not?" she stood and started pacing, "I knew I should have just dressed her myself…"

Eva placed her hands on Regina's shoulders as she walked them to the doors of the garden, where the wedding was taking place, "Emma looks like Emma's version of a bride."

"And that is?"

"That white suit-half-skirt-jacket thing she wore whilst putting Rumple and Cora in that lamp."

Regina looked away from Eva, her eyes glazing over as she thought about that particular outfit, "…Oh."

Eva tried to hide her laugh, "Dear, I can read thoughts. I know all the dirty things you're thinking about doing with my granddaughter just because of that outfit."

"Oh!" Regina looked to the other woman terrified.

"Don't fret." Eva chuckled, "I'll not say a thing." She gave the woman one more beat to breathe before she reached for the doors, "Ready to walk down the isle?"

Regina nodded, "Far past ready."

~0~0~0~0~0~

The competitors were Emma's brides-men and the advisors were Regina's brides-men. Grace, of course, was the flower girl. She was very excited because she got to wear a pretty dress and a tiara.

Grace and all of the gallant men had walked the isle and everyone stood, waiting for the first of the brides to walk.

The doors opened revealing Emma and her parents. Music played as they walked to their seat.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Just as Regina and Eva got to the doors after they closed from letting Emma and her parents walk the isle, Maleficent showed up.

"Maleficent?" Regina looked to the woman in question.

"What, do you really think I'm going to get dressed up for one of these things and merely be part of the crowd? No, I'll walk you down the isle."

"Eva's already—"

"Yes, I know. It's a family affair." The blonde took Regina's free arm. She glanced over to her sister, "Briar Rose peaked in on your conversation. She was worried that Regina was lonely and crying at her loneliness." When Regina gave her a look, Maleficent raised her hands in surrender, "Her words not mine. She got a vibe from you this morning as she passed you in the hall." She looked back to her sister, "Nevertheless, she listened in on your conversation." Her stare was serious. It was forgiving. "I'm only saying this once and I'm saying it now so you don't make a big fuss over it. Thank you for what you did for us, Briar Rose and myself. It means…" She swallowed and whispered, "Everything."

The doors opened and the three women plastered smiles on their faces, walking away from the tense moment out to the crowd.

As soon as Regina and Emma locked eyes, Regina tried to walk faster to get to her.

"Relax, dear. If we move any faster someone might think we're running away from something." Maleficent whispered.

"I'm not running away…" Regina whispered back.

"You're running to, we know." Eva whispered.

As they finally got to the end of the isle, Regina broke free and moved up the steps of the small platform.

"Hi." Regina smiled a teary smile as Emma took her hands.

The blonde couldn't help herself and kissed Regina there and then, "Hi." She whispered back.

"Alright… Well…" Lord Van Dyke started, "That wasn't supposed to happen until the end. When I tell you to do it." He gave the soon-to-be Shadow Queen a goofy, scolding look. He chuckled at Emma's blush and turned to the crowd, "Well, I think these two have waited quite enough for this. Let's get started." He opened his bible and started the ceremony

As Lord Van Dyke talked, Maleficent saw something familiar in him that she couldn't place a finger on. But as it did hit her, she leaned over her Briar Rose to her sister, "Doesn't he look an awful lot like, Daddy?"

Eva nodded, "He does. Did Daddy have a brother or a cousin we were never told about?"

"I was never told of anything…"

Aurora coughed a laugh and quickly covered her mouth.

Maleficent and Eva looked to Aurora. "She knows something. Briar Rose, what is it?" Aurora put a finger to her lips telling her love to be quiet. Maleficent simply looked to her sister, "You're undead and can read thoughts. What's she know?"

Eva shook her head, "She's already learned to block me… I've no idea."

Maleficent looked back to her ladylove, "You will tell me what you know of Lord Van Dyke?"

Aurora smirked, "Is that a question or a statement?"

"It's whatever it needs to be to get you to tell me what that knowing laugh was." Maleficent said.

Aurora gave her lover a smirk, "Pay attention. It's almost over now anyways."

The women turned back to hear, "I now pronounce you both married. You may _now_ kiss the other bride." He gestured the two together.

The brides kissed again and when they pulled apart, they turned to the crowd that stood and cheered.

"The Queens of the Shadow Lands, everyone." Lord Van Dyke smiled as he clapped along with the crowd.

~0~0~0~0~0~

The reception had gone off without a hitch—okay, there were a few drunken words thrown about but nothing came of anything. Now that it was well into the night, well after her and her wife's first christening of their quarters as newlyweds, well after they heard the riotous argument down the main hall, that Emma found herself in her wife's—and now, she supposed, her study, having pulled the feuding bunch into the room.

Maleficent, Aurora, Eva, Lord Van Dyke, Snow, Charming, Regina, Belle, Red and Chip—the last two were covering their ears with pleading looks on their faces, obviously wanting it to end—were all in the study in their pajamas and robes.

Emma's grandmother and great-aunt were yelling at Lord Van Dyke, and it was much too late for Emma to try to decipher what was going on.

"WAIT!" Emma stopped the high-pitched, angry tones that filled the study. She wiped her face after the noise stopped and saw Chip's and Red's shoulders slouch in relief. She looked to them both, "Does this concern you or just my family and Lord Van Dyke?"

Belle answered for her wife and son, "They couldn't ignore the noise, and had been trying to help, but it got worse anyways… We'll just go back to our quarters." The Western Queen began to usher her wife and son out of the room.

"That looks as though it might be wise, thank you, Belle." Regina said as she led them to the door, "I'll soundproof it so you two can go to sleep."

"Thank you, Regina." Red said gratefully.

"Yes, thank you." Chip nodded.

Regina shut the door, and with a flick of her wrist, she had the room soundproofed from all outsiders. Then she made her way to the desk to lean against the front.

"Now." Emma looked to the rest of them unimpressed, "Someone in a soft, indoor-like tone, calmly explain to me why my grandmother and my great-aunt are screaming like banshees on my wedding night."

Aurora giggled and Eva looked at her scoldingly, "Now is not the time, Emma."

"Excuse me? Now is not the time, grandmother? It's three in morning and you're throwing a temper tantrum!" She got flustered as she realized she was raising her voice a bit at her grandmother and leaned against the front of the desk, just next to her wife, "And, you know what? It's my damn wedding night, I should be allowed to think whatever I please!" She shook her head, "Seriously, what is going on tonight? Why are we all yelling at each other? Is it a curse?"

"No, Emma, you're just yelling because you're frustrated your not having sex right now." Aurora started.

This made Regina bury her head in her wife's shoulder embarrassingly, furiously avoiding the eyes of her love's parents and grandmother.

Emma stared to the princess. She bit her lip, "Yeah, Aurora, we need to go over what a filter is and how you can apply it to your new self."

Aurora laughed, "You like me not having one."

Emma conceded, "I do. Now, Aurora, why are those two high-pitched and not understandable."

"Oh, they're yelling at Richard." Aurora pointed to Lord Van Dyke.

"Why?" Emma pushed from the desk, "Why would they yell at Richard?" She put her hands on the man's shoulders, "He's old and cute and witty, and he married me and my wife this afternoon…"

"He's their daddy." She said plainly.

Emma pulled her hands from Van Dyke's shoulders as if she'd been burnt. When he turned and looked at her she simply looked back in question, "What?"

Regina bit her lip as a memory flashed to the forefront of her mind.

Aurora glanced at her, but ignored it as she spoke to Emma, "Uh, huh. I read him, well, I've read him over the last couple days. He's had lots of lives."

Van Dyke looked down ashamed.

"What do you mean, 'lots of lives'?" Charming spoke as he seemed to be the only rational person in the room after Aurora dropped the bomb.

Maleficent tore into the conversation again, "She means that my dear father was the best kind of liar. He was an actor for a while. That's what he would say, at least. He's a scam artist. He could change everything about himself. That's how he met Eva's mother; he was scamming that town and came home… happy. And nine months later, both of us were born." She crossed her arms and gave her father a glare.

Regina stepped in, "But, Lord Van Dyke—"

"His name isn't Richard Van Dyke." Maleficent looked at Regina. "It's Rob Petrie."

"No, it's not." Van Dyke looked up to his daughter.

"That's the name you told my mother."

"And mine." Eva looked to her father gravely.

"And Millie and Laura always knew me to be the dependable Rob Petrie. But that's not my given name."

"My mother hardly knew you to be dependable. You left her pregnant for your pregnant mistress."

"And he sent her money every week." Eva said seriously. "He was insistent on it."

"So… if Rob and Richard aren't your real names, what is?" Emma asked.

Aurora looked at him, "Bert! Bert Dawes."

"No. I learned long ago how to confuse a seer. I'm one of a handful that still can." He looked to Aurora, "I just wanted to see if you were still reading me."

"Bert was his one-man band character and quite an artist." Eva said. "He always made most when he was Bert. Then there was Caractacus Potts and Mark Sloan."

"Awe, yes, the inventor and the doctor. Every time he sold the cure for the common cold, he got out of the town swiftly." Maleficent said.

"Those aren't your real names either…" Emma looked him.

He shook his head, "No."

"Richard is your real name, isn't it?" Regina asked, as she moved and sat on the coffee table in front of him, "I remember a conversation my father had with you. I was eavesdropping. I shouldn't have been, but I was curious."

"You were a small girl." He smiled. "Yes, your father pardoned me of my transgressions."

"Why?" Regina asked seriously, "I mean, my father wouldn't give a petty commoner or a thief the time of day. How did you even see him?"

"I can be a charming man." He smiled.

Everyone looked to Charming. He knit his brows, "What? She calls me Charming because I'm not charming. I wasn't charming when we met. It's ironic."

"You were though." Van Dyke gave Charming a look before he glanced to his daughters then to the Shadow Queen he'd served under for the last few years, "I charmed my way in. It was the last foul act I committed." He looked down, "Laura had just died. It was just a year or two after Millie. I'd basically ruined both of my girls' childhoods. I saw that. Phyllipina'd up and run away from me, and Eva… she wouldn't look my direction. She'd found Leopold and things seemed to be going okay for the both of them. So, I killed Rob. I made my way back to these lands from the Northern Enchanted forest. I grew up here. I was technically banned from here by your grandfather, but I came back. It had been years. I was unrecognizable."

He leaned back, "I vowed after I lost all the women in my life that I wouldn't play my games anymore. I would serve as only I could. I have the gift of gab when needed. I'm tall, intimidating when I need to be, perceived to be intelligent, powerful when I need to be. I figured I could go into politics somehow. Try to make up all my faults by bringing prosperity, helping bring prosperity to the people whose families I more than likely stole from."

"So, you went to our public library and memorized every law that was instated at the time. And you brought a list of the ones that were ludicrous and needed changing." Regina nodded, "I remember my father telling me why he hired you on."

Van Dyke nodded, "I told him of my sins before he did. I told him of my past. He released my ban and hired me on the spot."

"You were his favorite." Regina leant forward and touched his cheek, "You always have a job here." She stood and moved around the couch to where Emma was. "Darling, I think we need to give Maleficent, Eva and Richard some time."

"Yeah." Emma nodded. She was still a little wigged by the whole thing. The man had gone around scamming people for money, but he brought it home to his baby mommas. He faked his death so that his daughters wouldn't ever have to deal with him after thinking he ruined their lives, and the whole time, he'd been working for the Shadow Lands, repenting for his sins that could never truly be forgiven. And to top it off, he was related to her—"WAIT!" Emma said once they were at the door, "You're my great-granddad!" She walked back over to him and hugged him like she grew up with him, "Thanks for marrying me and Regina." She kissed his cheek before walking back to her wife.

They left the rest of the family members to talk and discuss.

Emma fell in bed next to her wife as soon as they got inside their chamber, "This is so not how I planned our wedding night."

"No. Not at all." Regina cuddled the blonde, "Though, on the bright side, the gods liked him enough to make you a Pure One."

"The gods know that Van Dyke secretly has a heart of gold and was given a tough shot in life. That's my guess."

"How do you figure?"

"He stole only to bring back to not the mother he was married to, but to both his children's mothers. And while that isn't the best way to prove his valor, the fact is that even when he was put in a tough spot like having two lovers and a child from both, he did what he knew how in order to keep them both financially stable. And I mean, he's the only nice member of your court—Oh no!" Emma sat up and looked down to her wife, "Does this mean that we can't do what we were going to do anymore?"

Regina shrugged, "Do what? Overthrow the court and let Richard start from scratch? It just gives me more incentive…"

"Good." Emma settled again, "I wonder how everything will work out. You think he'll be invited to Maleficent's wedding?"

Regina giggled, "Definitely. Maleficent, with all her anger and intimidation, has a big heart that she doesn't know how to use. Plus, I have no doubt that Aurora will make her spend time with her father. Aurora seems the type to do that."

"She is. When we were young. I had to play dolls with her and I would have two of them get in a duel and she would take them from me and make them sit and talk about what caused them to fight."

Regina gave her lover a look asking if she were serious before shrugging. She leaned up and kissed the blonde, "It's our wedding night."

"It is."

"You've found yet another family member you didn't know you had—"

"We've, Regina. We've found. You're officially family."

Regina smiled up to her and pushed up to lay her head in her hand and hover over her. She smiled, "We've found another family member." She leaned down and kissed her.

Emma smiled in the kiss, and after Regina pulled from her she looked into her eyes, "I love you."

"I love you too."

"We're married."

"We are."

"I always knew it would happen."

Regina kissed her again, "I know you did." She moved on top of her wife and let one hand fall in Emma's thick, blonde locks and the other clasp her cheek as she kissed her wantonly.

"The next thing I'm gonna say I know is gonna happen is a baby or two."

Regina smiled, "We should practice making one."

"We should." Emma nodded.

**AN: Okay, everyone. With the first epilogue chapter (now, I'm hoping will be chapter 30—things have expanded and developed more since I last spoke of estimated chapters) I will be posting a family tree/dream cast over on Tumblr and give the back half of the link in an AN. You guys will (I hope) find all the many, many Easter Eggs behind the Van Dyke story from this chapter if you didn't pick them up already. Here's the questions you want to ask yourself about them because I'm asking. I'm asking now and I might ask in the epilogue (except you'll also get a dream cast list, so the first question will already be answered): Who would play Lord Van Dyke? What are each of his character's from (i.e. Bert Dawes, Caractacus Potts, Rob Petrie, Dr. Mark Sloan (NOT MCSTEAMY!), etc.)? Who would play Millie, and who would play Laura? Why?**

**I'm hoping these are all easy to answer, but you have to know who would I got Richard Van Dyke from… which, I mean, I hope is the easiest question above! Also, imdb and ctrl + f will be your friend for this game.**

**Thoughts and feels? Please Read and Review!**


	27. Chapter 27

**AN: Wow, it's been a full week. I'm sorry my friends. Let's get on with "The Games," hmm?**

Regina ran into Richard making coffee as she was getting herself and Emma breakfast the next morning.

"Richard." She smiled, closing her robe and tying it to look a little more presentable, "I trust someone took you in or you found quarters for yourself?"

"Eva." He grunted an answer.

"Maleficent isn't…?"

"Phyllipina isn't ready to deal with me." He filled a mug and added cream and sugar.

"She only lets Aurora call her that." Regina rooted around the refrigerator for something edible. She was about to give up and tell Emma to wait for Holly, but in the refrigerator she found yogurt and fruit.

"Mm," Richard grunted as he took a sip, nodding his understanding, "I know. But I can't call her Maleficent. The name means 'harm and destruction'. She's not, she's… She's my little girl. I created her. I abandoned her. I… I can never make up for it, but I'll not call her Maleficent. Not when I'm the reason she's so destructive. If anyone should be called Maleficent—"

"Don't finish that sentence." Maleficent said from the other end of the room. She didn't say anything more, she only moved to the pantry for food for herself and Aurora.

"Phyllipina—" Richard started but was cut off.

"No."

"Maleficent." Regina looked into the pantry with a curious yet scolding eye.

"No. You don't get to think he's old and sweet and been around _you_ forever so you know him and know his sincerity. I'm his daughter, damn it. _I_ know his sincerity. I know he's trying." She looked to her father, "I know you're owning up for everything. But I can't with you. Not right now. Not because you were found out by my lover." She took a frustrated breath, "Tell me, were you ever going to tell anyone?"

"No. I was going to let you live the rest of your life in peace." Richard looked into his mug.

"Then why let her read you? If you can block a seer, why didn't you?"

"I didn't think her gift real. I'd only heard rumors, never met her, never even seen her."

"So instead you decided to throw caution in the wind?"

Richard didn't have an answer.

"See? You're still deceiving. You were never going to _say_ anything, but maybe if the seer knew who you were…"

"That's not—!"

"But it is! Daddy, you know it is!" Maleficent shook her head and made her way to the doorway, choosing to walk and keep her ground instead of poof back.

"I thought that if the seer was real. If she could read me that she would take me aside, talk to me. I could ask her how you really turned out, since apparently she was your lover. I know you're a private person, Phyllipina, I know you don't show your true self to anyone. I taught you to keep your cards close."

"Yes and somehow my heart still got ripped from my chest."

Regina couldn't just listen anymore, "That is not his fault!" She stared at the other witch. "Don't place blame where blame is not due."

"Don't act superior to me! To this situation!" Maleficent glared to the woman behind her.

"Don't pretend that I don't in some way understand this situation!" Regina's eyes lit with fire, "My mother killed my father so she could be the sole ruler before she even learned magic. She met Rumple and she learned to use magic, tore Daniel's heart out, got intimidatingly addicted to magic, to Rumple's many appearances, and then just up and left! And after 20 days of nothing, I was forced to take the throne at sixteen!"

Regina took a breath, "My father is dead and my mother's heart is literally rotten to the core. I have nothing. I had no one! Yet, I still rule over a kingdom, I'm still good! You though? Your father cheated on your mother before you were born. You have a sister you refused to get to know until after she died. You have daddy issues and you changed your name to suit your attitude. You decided to learn magic from the Dark One making yourself indebted to him and _he _is the reason Aurora's heart was taken! The reason your heart was taken!"

She huffed a breath out, "I do get to be superior to the situation because after all you've been through and all I've been through… You get love and a second chance with the parent that screwed you over. A genuine second chance. My mother's heart will be fully rotted in the next ten to twelve years. She's never getting out of that lamp. I get my love and I get to rule over a kingdom I never wanted to be tied to, to begin with. But I don't get a second chance."

Regina looked around to find a crowd gathered just inside the two doorways of the kitchen. "Excuse me." She poofed away with no food.

Maleficent walked over to stand next to her father. She swallowed hard and looked to the counter, tears in her eyes, "I suppose, she's got a point…" She whispered.

Holly and the breakfast crew slowly made their way into the kitchen to begin working.

Eva walked into the kitchen, "Aurora told me I could find you here. And that it would be tense. Which it is…"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma shook her head furiously as she sat on the couch of her parents' guest quarters, "No." She'd already dealt with too many emotions that week.

Regina had told her why didn't get breakfast four days before; that made her heart hurt. Watching Richard try to get to know his daughters again; that was sweet and sad. Seeing off the boys; she'd almost refused to let them go—she had help from Grace as the toddler tried to sneak into Eric and Ariel's carriage first, then Shrek and Fiona's and Nancy and Edward's before Delaney finally wouldn't let her say goodbye to anyone else. Emma on the other hand kept it together for the most part until the last one, until Chip had to leave. He'd promised that he could come visit on every couple weeks, or at least once a month, and all she managed was a nod as she buried her head in his neck; he'd truly become her best friend.

And now this shit!

"NO!" She said again as she looked from her wife to her parents to her grandmother again, "NO!" She stood up and stomped her foot as tears came to her eyes. "I won't let you."

"You've no choice, Emma." Eva said, looking at her.

"I'm a Pure One, I'm bound to have a way." The blonde crossed her arms defiantly.

"Emma." Snow scolded from her seat, "Now you had to have known that this was coming."

"I did not have to have known that!" she looked at her mother like she did when she was a child denying she'd eaten an extra cookie.

"But you did." Snow looked at her daughter, "Ever since she came to you, you knew that she wasn't going to be around forever. And then when Cordelia confirmed her to be a tutelary spirit…"

Emma mulled that one over, "NO!" She said again then looked to her grandmother, "I don't want you to go."

Eva took a ragged breath, "I have to."

Emma jut her jaw to the side and looked away from the woman to a wall. After a moment though, she made her way over and buried herself in her grandmother's arms. "I'm gonna miss you too much."

"I'll miss you too."

Emma nodded once before it was too much and she needed to breathe. She ran from her parent's quarters, ran down the hall, ran out of the castle and finally hunched over on the castle's front steps.

She heard the sound of boots against pavement and looked to the bottom of the steps to see Maleficent and Aurora dressed to leave.

Maleficent tilted her head to the side in question, "Are you quite alright? You look as though you'll be sick…"

"Eva told her she had to re-ascend. She loves Eva." Aurora answered Maleficent's question before she looked up at the sunlight through her lace parasol.

"What's going on?" Emma asked after a moment of just watching her basically sane friend.

"We're going to leave—"

"NO!" She yelled cutting off anymore words that could possibly come from her great-aunt's lips.

"No?" Aurora stopped looking at the sun through her now spinning parasol.

Emma stood up and finished the stairs to the bottom, where they were at, "No! Listen. A lot people have left me this week. I know I'm married and blah, blah, blah, but you two can't leave just like everyone else. You don't wanna go back to the Forbidden Mountain and I don't want you to. Regina doesn't either. She just likes to play around when she says those things!"

Maleficent raised her brows, "Okay. You need to calm down. Because, I'm not gonna talk to a crazy person lest her name be Aurora, my Briar Rose." Aurora turned from Emma to her lover and gave her a peck on the cheek.

Emma sat back on the bottom steps, "I'm calm."

Maleficent nodded, "I sent word to the Forbidden Mountain, requesting any mail from the Morpheus Lands be directed here. We've received nothing. They've received nothing. A while ago, we used to get a letter a month begging Aurora to come home. After they stole her heart, I'd write back, as the Briar Rose telling them she couldn't, not even for a visit. The letters stopped coming; though at the time I'd become too preoccupied with my Briar Rose to even notice. We think something is funky in the Kingdom." The witch rolled her eyes, "Okay, she, Aurora, Briar Rose thinks something funky has happened. Not malevolent nor menacing nor even bad, but merely 'funky'." She gave Emma a look, "It's the only word she's giving me. We're going to the Morpheus Kingdom by horse to see what's so 'funky'. I'm not going to poof us into a funk."

Aurora chuckled at the last phrase, "I might want to be poofed into a funk one day."

Maleficent laughed at her ladylove, "I don't doubt that, my love. Not one bit."

"The carriage is loaded, ladies." The driver interrupted the conversation.

Aurora turned to Emma, "We'll be back in a week's time, maybe before. We're going to tell my parents that we live here and we're getting married after we figure out why it's funky up there." She leaned down and hugged the new Shadow Queen.

"Yes, really, do you think I enjoy her parent's company? I don't really enjoy my father's company right now… But I prefer him and you and Regina over the goons."

"No, my parents." Aurora corrected, "The goons are at the Mountain." she took Maleficent's hand.

Maleficent gave Emma look, telling her she meant what she said, "Oh, yes. You're right, darling." She let herself be led to the carriage.

"I know that you're insulting my parents. I'm only letting you get away with it because they think you a goon as well." Aurora sat and looked out, waving to Emma, "Bye, Emma."

"Bye, Emma." Maleficent looked to the top of the stairs then looked down and around, "Bye, Daddy." She said softly, but loud enough for the old man to hear.

"Bye, Richard." Aurora waved to him as well.

"Goodbye Phyllipina, Aurora." He moved down the steps after the carriage took off and sat next to Emma, "You doing alright, kiddo?"

Emma shrugged, "Everyone around me is leaving."

"I'd hardly say that."

"The boys are gone." Emma put her head in her hand as she leaned forward.

"You'll see them again."

"But it won't be like it was."

Richard chuckled, "No, you probably won't compete with them for your wife's hand ever again."

Emma gave him a sly look, "You must be who grandmother Eva got her cheekiness from."

"Her mother was just as cheeky as me." Richard said. "Who else has left you?" He got the blonde back on track.

"Grandmother Eva."

"Oh, now… She's not gone yet."

"I know, but.. She's gonna leave and never come back."

"She might. If she's needed, she might." Richard placed a hand on her arm, "Don't do something to cause her to come back because… remember all the trouble you had to go through to get her here the first time. I mean… Do you really want to go through that again or worse?"

"No." Emma looked despondently to the ground.

"Who else?"

"Aunt Maleficent and Aurora."

"They're coming back in a week's time. They want to stay here with you."

Emma shrugged, "I guess." She looked down, "My mom and dad are going to leave too. I've never lived without my mom and dad…"

"That's how most children are to a certain age. But, you've got your wife and a country to help run."

"And I'm going to need my mommy and daddy to help me help my wife."

Richard laughed heartily, "You don't though. You're all grown up. You're the child we've done right in this family. You have both your parents and more than that, you love them both and they love you."

Emma didn't speak for a moment and finally a grin broke out on her face, "Yeah. We'll make sure to raise the next ones like me."

"A child that is part you, part your wife…" Richard shook his head, a sly smile gracing his features.

"That will be one amazing child." Eva's voice came from the doorway. She moved down to sit on the other side of her grandchild after the two turned to look at her.

Emma nodded as she looked to her grandmother apologetically, then leaned against her after she settled. The blonde then sighed, "I have a name picked out for the first one. It's going to be a girl. Two magical beings of the same gender without fail produce the same gender they are for the first-born. The second and any after the second is anyone's guess."

"Well, what's my great-granddaughter's and your great-grandfather's great-great-granddaughter's name gonna be?" Eva asked.

"Great-great-granddaughter. Now you're making me feel old."

~0~0~0~0~0~

About an hour or so into the trip, Maleficent decided to make the journey a little shorter. She magicked them all the way to the last stretches of the road that led to the most convenient entrance to the Morpheus kingdom.

Aurora looked outside after seeing her lover wave her hand about and a couple sparks fly. She looked back over to the blonde and narrowed her eyes, "Why did you shorten the trip?"

Maleficent smirked, "Don't tell me you didn't see that coming and you don't know why. I know you know both of those things."

Aurora stared at the woman before her before standing and moving to sit next to her lover, "You want to get it over with." She said before kissing Maleficent's cheek.

"I do." The witch nodded.

"Why?" Aurora stroked blonde hair as she cuddled with the woman, letting her lover's head fall to her sternum as she lay them down sideways in the seat.

Maleficent picked her head up, "You know—"

"Why?" Aurora asked her insistently.

"Because I'm tired and I don't want to argue!" The blonde fell against the woman once again showing her exhaustion, "I'm tired of fighting everyone and everything. I'm tired of defending my love for you to them, I'm tired of being the Evil Witch, I'm tired from trying so desperately to bring you back only to have my great-niece do it for me, I'm tired of the neglect I got from my father, I'm tired of pretending like I'm tired of him trying to make it up to me now, I'm just tired. I'm tired of confrontation, Aurora. I'm exhausted of fighting everything in my life good or bad."

Aurora leaned down and kissed Maleficent's forehead, "Then stop fighting." She kissed her cheek, "I think that it might make things better."

Maleficent looked up to her lover's eyes, "You think so?"

"Mhmm…" Aurora leaned forward and pecked the blonde's lips. "I also think that we shouldn't let everyone know we're back after you poof us back to the castle…" She sighed and looked around the coach, "Because I think I might just have the energy to not fight… for a long time."

Maleficent smirked and leaned up, kissing Aurora's lips, "I think I might just have energy to not fight for a long time as well."

Aurora smiled as her lover fell back into her embrace, "Good." she looked away for a moment, suddenly distraught as she played her lover's words over. She kept her tone as normal as she could ever make it now that she was back, "Call me Briar Rose. Call me your Briar Rose."

Maleficent knit her brows and looked up, "What?"

"I know you were—are tired, but please… I'm not Aurora, not who you called Aurora. Not really. I… I'm your Briar Rose. Right?"

Maleficent realized her mistake as she sat up and looked at the girl; she'd yet to call the Morpheus Princess by her given name since they'd got their hearts back. She had no idea calling her 'Aurora' would affect her lover like this, "Of course. You are my Briar Rose." She leaned forward and took her face, "You are my love, and you are my life. You hear me?"

Blue stared into blue seeing honesty and apology, "Don't be sorry, Phyllipina. Just call me Briar Rose when you're done being frustrated."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma walked stealthily along the hall. She kept her ears alert and tried not to make any sudden moves when going into a room. She was distracting herself from everyone up and leaving her with a rousing game of hide-and-seek with little Grace.

This little girl could really hide! She'd been down the entire hall and done a first look into each room. Now, she was starting to grow concerned.

She gave out three claps. A rule Delaney had instated a while before so Grace could never go too far into other parts of the castle. She waited and received nothing in return. She gave three claps again and again she got nothing.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing?" Baelfire asked as he, Hook and Graham turned down the hall.

Emma looked at the three of them, concern all over her face, "Have you seen Grace?"

Hook knit his brows, "She's in the garden with the other Shadow Queen and your parents… They're playing chase."

Emma crossed her arms. She knew she smelt Regina's magic in one of the rooms. "That little…" She passed the three men by, "Thank you." She said waving her arm behind her as she stalked off.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Why have we slowed to a pace I could stroll at?" Maleficent called to the driver.

"It's… Uhm… There's no one moving…"

"No one moving?" Aurora swiftly grabbed the handle of the door and jumped out of the carriage.

"Briar Rose!" Maleficent was quick to poof out to her, hug the princess and poof them back inside, "You don't know what's out here! Or why the people aren't moving! They could be dead! Something could hurt you! The same something that hurt them!"

Aurora gave the woman a coy smile and kissed her lips before quickly making her way back outside, that coy smile turning to a wide grin, "Phyl, they're asleep." She said as the blonde wrapped her arms around her once more, this time in annoyance rather than fear—that Aurora knew for sure.

Maleficent stopped as she heard her lover's words. And looked at the people on the ground, on chairs, even on top of and under outdoor tables, "They're asleep…" She narrowed her brows before shouting out, "How in the gods' names could they all be asleep?! Not everyone in this kingdom could be put under a sleeping curse and NO ONE in adjacent kingdoms know it!" She looked around and rolled her eyes, "This is absolutely ridiculous."

It was as she said those words that the driver, Aurora and Maleficent all saw a red light, a blue light and a green light traveling fast from the direction of the castle.

"Flora, Fauna and Merryweather!" Aurora clapped her hands.

Maleficent looked off to the side, "And it all comes together in one stupid, fairy package."

"Phyl!" Aurora admonished her lover, slapping her arm, "Be nice when they get here."

"Because they've treated me with ever-loving kindness?" Maleficent got defensive; she crossed her arms and looked at her lover, "They saw my horned crown, pointed and called me evil."

"Well… You were evil, darling." Aurora hugged her, "Then you met me and I changed you." She kissed the blonde's lips.

Maleficent looked down and around and back to her lover, "They still didn't need to be rude about it."

"Rose!" Flora's voice was heard. "Rose!"

"Rose!" Fauna's followed Flora's.

"Oh, Rose!" Merryweather said after the three fairies grew from their small colorful dots to human height as they stopped in front of Aurora and Maleficent.

Each fairy hugged Aurora before taking in the fact that Maleficent was with her. And as this realization came to pass, a collective gasp was heard from the three of them.

"Maleficent!" Flora covered her mouth in fear.

Merryweather, the feistiest of the fairies rolled her sleeves and started flying toward the blonde, "I'd like to turn you into a fat ol' hop toad!"

Maleficent laughed, "I'd like to see you try, fairy." She blew her breath out in a huff, magically producing enough air to send the human-sized fairy back to her sisters.

Merryweather started rolling up her sleeves. "Why I oughta—"

"Merryweather?" Aurora cut in, stepping in front of her lover, "Why is everyone asleep?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma stalked outside the mansion and into the garden. She had her hands on her hips when she spotted Regina tossing Grace in the air, twirling the girl around making her laugh. This all stopped when they heard Emma's, "Hey!"

Regina smirked over to her wife as she set the little girl on the ground, "Wife of mine, whom I love and adore." Regina held her arms out as the blonde came forth with a scowl on her face. She kissed her cheek, "You've had quite a day today." She said as she wrapped her arms around Emma's shoulders, hugging her.

"Yeah, and stealing the kid I'm playing with just adds a cherry to the top."

Regina kissed her cheek again, "Come now…" She kissed it a third time, holding her lips in place until she felt Emma begin to smile. "I can make that little infraction of stealing a playmate up to you…" She smiled into her wife's cheek.

Emma hugged the woman tight and shook her head at Regina's antics, "I feel as though we've switched places since we married. All you want from me is my body." She looked away dramatically.

"Yet somehow, your hand always finds its way to my rump…" Regina traced Emma's arm to the hand, proving her point when sure enough, Emma's hand was in fact on her ass. "Whether in public or not now…"

Emma shrugged, "You're my wife, I can touch your rump in public if I please." She looked down dejectedly, "Right?" She looked back into her wife's eyes with a pleading look on her face.

Regina couldn't help as a laugh made its way from her throat, "Of course, my love."

"Emma?" Snow handed little Grace to Delaney who had come to get her cleaned for dinner and started making her way over to her daughter, "Your father and I still need to talk to you. We weren't finished this morning when you… Well, when you ran away."

Emma stared at her mother a moment before pulling from her wife, hugging herself, "Yes, of course." She now looked anywhere but to her mother, "Might we do it another day? I've already had an eventful day… I don't need anymore surprises."

"I think you'll like this one, little princess." Charming came over and realized his error, "Excuse me, little queen." He smiled to his daughter then to Regina.

"I don't think I will. No matter how much you might think I would like it, trust me… I won't." She tried to subtly tell her parents that they weren't allowed to leave.

Regina placed her hands around her clenched, closed off, crossed armed love, "Darling, I think your parents know you a little better than you think. They've already spoken a bit with me, and _I know _I know you… It's not what you think."

Emma took in her wife's words. She looked between the love of her life and her parents a couple times, "It's not?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Maleficent laughed at the three fairies, "And you followed through on that wish? _That_ wish which takes away from everyone in the Kingdom?" She turned to Aurora, "This is precisely why fairies shouldn't exist. They grant wishes without thinking of the consequences."

"What consequences are those?" Flora asked with a defensive cross of her arms.

Maleficent, who also had her arms crossed looked to the fairy, and an indignant stare in her eyes, "The consequences of granting a wish to two royals that asked to be put to sleep until their daughter stepped foot inside their castle again? How about the question of if the daughter never returns? How about everyone else in the kingdom? How about their wishes? Their wants? What if you put them to sleep during the worst moment of their lives? What if all they've dreamed about the last two years is that moment and what led up to it?"

"That's impossible. It's a _spell_ not a curse. We're only allowed to grant good things." Flora crossed her arms

Maleficent rolled her eyes, "Okay, so say those same people are dreaming of what they want, they even think they have it. They wake up and then what? They're to continue on their miserable trek?"

"Since when do you care about anyone but yourself?" Merryweather huffed.

"That's enough!" Aurora once again stepped in. She turned to her lover, "Take us to the castle. Let's wake my mother and father and get this over with."

Maleficent gave the three fairies a malevolent stare before poofing them all, including the driver and their carriage to the castle.

"I'm just saying, Flora, Maleficent has a point. Is what we've done for the king and queen good for the people too?"

"Oh, hush, Fauna." Flora said as she made her way into the throne room after Aurora and Maleficent.

Stefan and Leah were already waking from their sleep. All it took was Aurora stepping foot into the castle. And all it would take to start to wake everyone else was Stefan and Leah to wake. The chain reaction had already begun.

When Stefan realized where he was, he shot from his throne and looked around, "Aurora? Aurora?!"

Aurora stepped from the shadows where she and Maleficent decided to hide until the princess could assess the situation. She stared at her father, "I'm here, daddy."

"Aurora." He hugged his daughter.

"Oh, Aurora, dear!" Leah glided swiftly to the two of them and enveloped her daughter in a hug. "We've missed you so much."

"I know." Aurora said.

"We're just happy you've come back to us." Stefan turned to see the three fairies, "Tell me, Flora, Fauna, Merryweather. How long has it been since you've put us to sleep?"

"It's been a year or so." Aurora looked around as lights started filling the castle, "The castle hasn't changed."

"No." Leah agreed with her as smiled at her daughter, "It's just like when you left."

A sneeze came from the shadows and Maleficent knew she'd blown her cover, "A little dusty, if nothing else." She said as she emerged.

Aurora smiled to the blonde and reached for her hand, "I had a feeling the dust would get to you."

"Of course, you did. Have your feelings been wrong yet?"

Aurora actually took time think about the question and after thorough analysis, a soft, "No." was her response. Then she became overly cheerful, "I like that I can be right all the time!" She hugged the blonde before her, "It gives me a leg up on you." She whispered.

"I'll let you have a leg up on me anytime you like…" Maleficent whispered in return and smirked as she kissed Aurora's cheek and pulled back.

Aurora smiled wide, "I bet you would." She turned to look at a knight that was leaning against a wall begin to wake up and covered her ears.

Just as Stefan, Leah and Maleficent looked the same direction, the knight, in full metal uniform, fell over causing a riotous echo in the room.

"That was obnoxious." Maleficent looked to her lover, "And you said nothing because?"

Aurora shrugged in response.

Leah narrowed her brows, "What's happened to you?"

"Has _she_ done something?" Stefan looked at Maleficent as if he was considering spitting on her.

"No, daddy, if anything she healed me." Aurora smiled. "She helped heal me, anyways. She kept me alive."

Maleficent turned from them and looked down as she walked a few paces from the three.

"What do you mean, 'she kept you alive'?" Leah asked her daughter as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind the girl's ear.

"When Rumplestilskin and Cora took my heart… both times she kept me alive."

Stefan turned to face the blonde immediately, "And just why did they have her heart? Did you owe them something, decide to give them hers instead of your own? Was yours too small for them to even control?"

Maleficent held her head high, but before she could speak, Aurora got her father's attention, "Daddy, we're getting married."

"Beg pardon?" He looked back to his daughter.

"Yeah. We're getting married. That's why we're here. To let you know. That, and we're living in the Shadow Lands, not the Forbidden Mountain. We don't like it there anymore because of what happened."

"What happened?" Leah asked.

"I almost killed Phyllipina. I was being controlled by them though…" She shook her head, "I don't really want to talk about it with Phyllipina right here." She looked back to her lover and gave her a sad smile before looking back to her parents, "I only came back to tell you that we're getting married and you can reach us at the Shadow castle…"

"And that they are invited." Maleficent reminded her lover.

"Yes, and you both are invited to the wedding."

Leah looked from her daughter to Maleficent, "Why are you being agreeable and not threatening my husband or myself?"

Maleficent looked Leah in the eyes, "I'm done fighting. Briar Rose and I made that decision on the way here, so I'm just going to say a few things and then you both don't have to listen to me ever again."

She swallowed as she walked back over to her Briar Rose and took her hand, "I love your daughter, and your daughter loves me. We had our hearts ripped out by the dark one and Cora, and my great-niece that I didn't even realize was my family is a Pure One. She joined a competition for the Shadow Queen's hand where a lot of things went down. But what you need to know is that she restored our hearts to our bodies just as I had been on the brink of death and Briar Rose almost lost every sane part of her completely. The Dark One and Cora played with Briar Rose, controlled her, manipulated her. They drove her insane." She took a breath, "But that's all over now and we're moving forward. She's now got a third eye, and can read anyone and anything."

She took another breath and took the opportunity to kiss the other woman's hand, "We're not going to be apart from each other. You can't force that like you've tried before; no one can. And, if anyone does attempt, I won't even bother with my own magic; I'll call on my great-niece, the Pure One, to come and deal with the threat."

Leah stared at the woman for a long, hard moment. She nodded once, as if that stare told her everything she needed to know, "Would you mind if we had some time with our daughter?"

Maleficent shook her head.

Aurora kissed her lover, "Go to my room, I'll find you when we're done talking."

"Don't leave me alone too long." Maleficent whispered.

"They want to know what happened… I'll be a bit."

Maleficent gave her lover a frustrated look before leaving the throne room and going upstairs.

Stefan looked to Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, "Could you go make sure the people are adjusting well? Tell them that we'll make an announcement later about everything that's happened."

"Yes, your majesty." The fairies left as well.

Aurora turned to her parents, "So, what do you want to know?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma knit her brows and stared at the coffee table in Regina's study, "So… What you're saying is that you're gonna sign over the kingdom to me and Regina, and the White Kingdom will then be a part of the Shadow Kingdom, and they will have the same progressive laws, and you guys are gonna stay here in this castle with me and Regina?"

Snow smirked at her daughter, who still spoke in large run-on sentences with no pause for air when she got riled in this way or that, "Yes." She nodded.

"That pretty much sums it up." Charming added, nodding as well, waiting for a reaction from his daughter.

Emma nodded along with her parents, "And all you're waiting on is a grandchild in order to make that happen?"

"Yes." Charming answered first this time.

"Your father and I feel that would be the perfect time because at that point, we'll want to focus on being grandparents, not running a country. That is when we'll step down and let you, our only heir, step up. Only instead of taking over the White Kingdom, you will simply make the White Kingdom the Shadow Kingdom as well."

"All so you can play with my kids more than me…"

"Yes." Came from Charming, while, "No!" came from his wife at the same time.

Emma smirked at her father then looked to her wife, "Are you okay, would you be okay with taking on another country and preparing for a baby."

"Of course." Regina nodded, "Besides, it's not like we won't have help…" She turned to them, "I assume you'll be here to give us advice if needed?"

"Of course. As long as I don't have my grandbaby in my arms, I'll be all ears." Charming gave them his signature grin.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Aurora spent the afternoon with her parents and finally said goodbye to them that evening. Maleficent had, apparently, pushed the waking up process along with a little helpful magic. Her only excuse was that she was bored and could see them all waking up from Aurora's bedroom window.

They finally poofed back to their quarters in the castle that evening. She kicked her shoes off and poofed into some pajamas before walking out to the balcony. She threw a fireball into the fire pit and settled into the wicker bowl seat.

Aurora came out a few minutes later in her own pajamas, "I'm hungry." She said after plopping into the couch with her lover.

"What am I supposed to do about it?"

"Will you magic me some mashed potatoes? My favorite kind of mashed potatoes?" the Morpheus princess had a twinkle in her eye.

"Would you like anything to go with that?"

"No." Aurora shook her head. A bowl of mashed potatoes appeared in front of her. She smiled wide and clapped, "Yay. Thank you." She kissed Maleficent's cheek and waited for the woman to turn her head so she could kiss her lips.

Maleficent gave the girl a couple minutes with her potatoes before she couldn't keep it in anymore, "What did you tell them?"

Aurora smirked before she smiled, "It took you a long time to finally ask…"

"You're avoiding the question. It was the disgusting, disturbing truth, wasn't it?" Maleficent asked.

Aurora gave a slight nod, "I told them every last tragic bit. I told them that I loved you and that wasn't going to ever change. I told them about both times my heart was ripped out. I told them…" Her breathing became ragged and she turned from Maleficent as tears filled her eyes, "I told them about how I… I drained you. I told them about how being forced to do that was the worst pain I'd ever experienced. Worse than any of the times my heart was squeezed or magic was put upon it."

"You don't have to say anymore, Briar Rose." Maleficent could tell that telling her was hurting Aurora. That talking to her, the lover, was almost like reliving the experience for the princess. She kissed Aurora's temple and brought her into her hold, "You don't have to say anymore." She repeated, soothingly rubbing her back.

"Thank you." Aurora burrowed into Maleficent's chest.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

A few minutes went by, the two of them just staring at the flames.

Aurora finally spoke again, "We're getting married soon."

"Yes we are."

"And my parents are coming."

"Yes… they are…"

"And they want to give us the kingdom."

"…Excuse me?"

**AN: Hope you enjoyed. What the boys are doing, have been doing, hints at their future will be the next chapter. Thoughts and feels? Please, read and review!**

**As for last chapter's quiz questions… And keep in mind that this is just a dream cast in the author's head—it's like 'Who's Line?' The virtual brownies mean nothing because the quiz questions don't matter… **

**Most of you that guessed said Dick Van Dyke for Richard Van Dyke, which I really, really hope was obvious. Some of you, my guest 'Lisa', carolm007, chemkate, and Alcandre all guessed that Laura was Easter Egged to be Mary Tyler Moore! Yay everyone! And I surprisingly only had two people take it a step further and guess that Julie Andrews would be Millie. My guest, 'Guest' and piecesofyourheart took home all the virtual brownies I can offer. Though, I have to give 'Guest' just a little more because she/he guessed why Millie was named 'Millie'. (It was the one you like to think, Guest.) Millie in my dreams would be played by Julie Andrews. This is the Easter Egged reason why: Julie Andrews and DVD were freaking Mary Poppins and Bert on (obviously) "Mary Poppins". MTM and DVD were Laura Petrie and Rob Petrie on "The DVD Show". Julie and MTM were Millie and Miss Dorothy Brown on "Thoroughly Modern Millie". The reasoning behind using 'Millie,' as Guest guessed was because 'Mary' would be too easy, and my throw people off if one is Mary and the other is Laura… Also, I didn't want to do Mary and Maria—those are too similar. And Victoria is, well… there's no connection with that one, so… yeah…**

**Now, for Jedipoet-Guest, you gave me a quiz question about DVD's brother. Jerry doesn't have credits until the 1960s… So, I'm not sure which show you're going for there. I mean, he guest-starred on DVD's show? Or are you wanting "My Mother the Car?" As for the 90s sitcom, I really, super hope you're wanting "Coach" because, I mean… It's "Coach!" haha.**

**Wow, this is a lot of bold… I'm done now!**


	28. Chapter 28

"I've purchased a ship." Hook announced as he, Bae and Graham walked down the hall.

"You've purchased a ship…" Baelfire looked from Hook to Graham, "And what are you planning to do—"

"Hold on." Hook said as he looked up after the three men turned the corner. They watched the new Shadow Queen clap three times and look almost fearful as she waited. "Is she all right?"

Baelfire shrugged and stepped forward, "Your Majesty, what are you doing?"

Emma looked at the three of them, concern all over her face, "Have you seen Grace?"

Hook knit his brows, "She's in the garden with the other Shadow Queen and your parents… They're playing chase."

Emma crossed her arms, suspicion now crossed her features, "That little…" She passed the three men and kept walking, "Thank you." She waved her arm behind her as she stalked off.

"What do you suppose that's about?" Baelfire asked.

"I've heard that she's having a hard time with everything that's changing. Jefferson told me that she asked if she could play with Grace." Graham spoke as he turned and started walking once more, the other two falling in step with him.

"Do you think that's why the Queen was acting that way?" Hook asked.

"Which queen are you referring? Either way my answer is yes, but… Just so I know what I'm answering." Graham eyed his friend.

Hook laughed, "Regina. She seemed awfully smug as she walked outside with Grace."

The other two nodded and chuckled at the original Shadow Queen's antics.

Graham changed the subject, "So, brother… You've bought a ship?"

"Yes, I was hoping to speak with the queens and go for a trip. Either of you interested?"

Bae and Graham looked to each other, then back to the pirate. Graham looked to the ground, "Not this time."

"Not this time?" Bae asked surprised before he place his hand on Graham's shoulder, "Has something happened between you two?"

Graham stared at the hand on his arm then up to the hand's owner. And, after watching the hand quickly retract and rise in surrender, he spoke, "I've other interests than my best friend."

"He's found love." Hook laughed at the blush that never failed to creep across Graham's face when he said the word, "He wants to spend time with her. That's good, brother." He clapped Graham's shoulder with his hand, "That's what you should want to do." He looked to Bae, "What about you?"

Bae looked at the man before him, "What about me? Do I want to go on a trip with the man that broke up my parent's marriage, if anything, provoked my father into becoming the Dark One and caused him to rip my mother's heart out and proceed to live as only the Dark One can?"

Hook looked down, "Well… Yeah." He shrugged as he looked back to the other man, "We're the same age now. Been through a lot to be where we are now…"

Bae glanced over to Graham before staring Hook down, "Okay." He stuck his hand out and Hook took it to shake.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"No…" Hook shook his head, "I was thinking we sail along the western coast." Hook said as he opened his map of another land and pointed it out to Bae.

Bae nodded, "If we've time, I've heard amazing things about—"

"What are you boys doing?" Regina asked as she looked at the both of them in her study; she'd had a feeling that someone was in there, and she assumed the person there needed her attention. How wrong she had been…

"We're uh…" Bae looked to Hook then to his sister.

"We're wanting to plan a trip."

"A trip? Just the two of you?" Regina raised a brow, "Why?"

Hook shrugged, "We've nothing waiting for us here…"

Bae pointed to Hook, "And he bought a ship."

Hook nodded, "I did. I bought a ship."

"You bought a ship?" Regina asked.

"I bought a ship." Hook nodded once more.

Regina looked between her two advisors, "Well, I'd prefer you wait until after the wedding…"

"You're already married, Regina…?" Bae looked at her with confusion.

Regina gave her brother an unimpressed look, "Not my wedding, Baelfire…"

"Maleficent and Aurora." Hook whispered.

"Oh yes." Bae nodded, "How could I possibly forget that…" he looked off to the side.

Regina knew that Maleficent had never been his favorite friend of hers, but Bae was just going to have to get over it. She was, after all, family now, "Now, Bae, I need not remind you that she's our great-aunt…"

"No, Regina, you need not remind me of _that_." He shook his head.

She smirked as she crossed her arms, "So you two will wait until after the wedding so we can throw you a send-off dinner?"

Hook smiled brightly, "Of course, your majesty. I love a good dinner in my honor."

Regina chuckled as she turned for the door, "I know you do. As does Bae." She gave one last glance their direction before leaving.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Greeting Stefan and Leah was an odd experience for Emma. Maleficent was particularly loving and made sure to emphasize her status as her great-aunt. It was only later, as she sat next to her grandmother during the vows that she got the whole story about Maleficent using her as a threat.

"So that's why they were so standoffish?" Emma whispered as she watched her great-grandfather walk her great-aunt, who only just made the decision that afternoon to let him do so, down the isle.

"Mhmm." Eva had her arm around the back of Emma's chair; she played with a strand of blonde curl. "She's tired of fighting." She said after a moment of pause to let her granddaughter know she was changing the subject.

"Yeah?" Emma turned to her grandmother.

Eva nodded, "We'd only just started getting to know one another… She and I would have been thick as thieves when we were young. Look after her after I re-ascend."

Emma looked down at her twiddling thumbs, "When is that going to happen?"

"I'd imagine very soon. That's why I've said my goodbyes to everyone but a very stubborn Shadow Queen." Eva gave her granddaughter a sad look.

"Watch it. Regina is sitting right next to us. She can probably hear you." Emma tried to joke.

Eva gave her a shining smile, but neither of them laughed as they caught the other's eyes.

Emma leaned against the undead woman, her head on Eva's shoulder. "I still don't want you to go."

"I won't physically be here, but I'm not leaving you. I'll be watching after you."

"Except when me and Regina have alone time. Ignore me then." Emma received a slap to the leg from the woman that apparently had been listening to them the whole time.

Eva laughed causing a few looks to come their way. After waving an apology, she turned back to her granddaughter, "Of course. I don't want to see any part of your and Regina's alone time."

"Thank you." Emma whispered as she watched Maleficent and Aurora exchange rings.

"For what?"

Emma sat up. She took her grandmother's hand just before the two women at the alter kissed, "For everything. Saving me. Helping me. Guiding me. Loving me." Emma bit her lip as tears formed in her eyes, "I love you." She squeezed the hand in hers to find that she was squeezing her own. She looked to her side as everyone stood and clapped for the brides that were making their way up the isle to find that there was no one next to her. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall silently.

Regina reached down and touched her wife's shoulder. The watery eyes that looked up to her was almost more than she could bear. She leaned down and hugged her, poofing them to their room.

"I'm fine." Emma said as she pulled from her wife, wiping her eyes.

"You're not."

"I just need a minute, then we can go to the reception." The blonde moved to the bathroom.

Regina slowly followed her. She walked behind her wife, hugging her as she watched the blonde wipe her eyes with tissue. "You don't have to go to the reception. Everyone will understand."

"No, I should go." Emma looked at the brunette, asking her not to argue.

Regina simply nodded, "Okay. Let's go dance and eat and do our best to have fun."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma was on the cusp of having fun the whole night. But it was her sad distraction that allowed her to notice that the Genie was acting odd. He was standing off to the corner, looking, staring their direction the whole time. He'd started walking over to them on more than one occasion, but every time he stopped.

Emma touched her wife's arm, pulling her from watching Maleficent dance her umpteenth dance with Lord Van Dyke—a sight Emma had to admit was adorable. They were making headway.

"Regina."

"Yes, my love?"

"Genie's been doing this all night, watch." She gestured with her eyes.

Regina watched him out of the corner of her eyes, trying to be subtle. She watched him begin to walk to them, retreat, turn around and stare at them both. "Oh…"

Emma knit her brows, "What?"

"He wants to ask—no, he wants to _tell_ me that it's time for him to leave."

Emma knit her brows, "But… What?"

"Take us to the study, please? The three of us?"

Emma waved her hand, producing her axe and tapped it twice.

The Genie looked around as he realized he was taken somewhere else.

Regina pursed her lips to keep from smiling when the Genie saw her, "Do you have something you need to tell me? Now that things are settling and I'm married to a Pure One?"

Genie looked down and smiled, "I do."

"Go on." Regina smiled a soft smile now.

Emma had knit brows as she watched their exchange.

"It's time for me to leave, my queen." He said softly as he knelt before her and reached out for her hand, which she gave willingly, "You don't need me anymore. I'm of no use to you."

Regina let the sudden tears roll down her cheeks, "I'd hardly say that, but it is far past time for you to leave, Genie." Regina pulled herself forward and hugged him tight, "Do you think you can stay until tomorrow to see Hook and Bae off as well?"

"Of course, your majesty." Genie nodded, still holding onto her as she held onto him.

"We're having a busy couple weeks, emptying out the castle…" Regina finally let go and turned to her wife. "Emma's had a hard time."

Genie nodded, "I know."

Emma looked up to him with a glare, "Yet, I'm not the one crying now. I was an hour ago. Now, I'm just trying to figure out why you voluntarily stayed so long…" Emma knew of the Genie's child and lover; Regina couldn't keep her mouth shut one night and Emma got all the good gossip.

The Genie sighed as he realized that the new Shadow Queen knew of his lover and child, "I stayed until I was no longer needed. That was my promise. I needed to keep that one. Calliope made sure of it."

"Why?"

The Genie looked around the room, "That I can't disclose." He looked to Regina, "I shall stay through dinner tomorrow night."

Regina nodded, "You'll come back and visit? We'll get to meet that family of yours?"

"Of course, your majesty."

~0~0~0~0~0~

It was Aurora and Maleficent's second evening of marriage. No one expected them to come from their quarters. Like Emma and Regina, they opted to not go on a honeymoon and merely relish the fact that they got married and could spend time together in their home and be married.

But, they did in fact come from their quarters. They came to the farewell dinner just as everyone was getting tipsy and rowdy.

"Maleficent!" Hook called from his place on top of the table, "Tell me, where is the best place you've traveled?" He walked over to the women and took a knee as he grinned a dirty grin as he leered at Aurora and looked at her chest, "Or do you prefer the ample mountains you've claimed home to rather than traveling?"

Maleficent was suddenly not in the mood to join the fun anymore. She reached down and grabbed Hook's junk, making sure that it brought pain to every last drunken nerve in his body, "I prefer you not look at my wife like that."

"Okay." He rasped out as the woman still had a warning grasp on his buried treasure. "My apologies."

"That's all you needed to say." Maleficent let the man go.

Hook immediately fell onto the table, making everyone laugh.

"Really Hook? Of all women in the room, you go after the two most recently married?" Jefferson asked with a tipsy maniacal chuckle to follow.

"Well, I couldn't very well go for the Shadow Queens, could I?"

"No." Emma shook her head vigorously, "Hard no. You definitely could not have done that."

Hook laughed as he stood got off the table, "I will miss you all while I'm on my trip." He looked at everyone before his eyes landed on Bae, "I won't miss you because you're coming with me!"

"Yes, I am!" The two men clinked their mugs and loud yell broke out amongst the crowd.

Genie approached the two of them, "I will miss you." He told them both, "I'm saying this now because you won't see me when you return."

"What?" Both Bae and Hook asked.

"What?" Graham was second to ask.

"What?" Pinocchio was third.

Jefferson waited a moment before he decided he needed to say it as well, "What?"

Genie turned to them all, "I made a pact with the original Shadow Queen, I would only stay as long as I am needed. I am no longer needed; there's no reason for me to stay."

Jefferson stared at the man, "Is there reason for you to go?" He asked almost as if he knew.

"There is." Genie nodded.

"Is it whatever you fly on your carpet for?" Hook leaned against the table.

"It is." Genie nodded.

"Is it a girl?" Bae asked with a wide grin.

"Two." Genie smiled back.

"TWO!" Pinocchio looked at him amazed. "Here I thought you were never going to find love, but you've found two of them!"

The Genie considered this statement. He knew he could have just said 'yes' and moved on, but he also knew that he should clarify for the drunk room, "Yes, I do have two loves. One is my lover, whom I will marry eventually; the other our daughter, the most beautiful little girl you've ever seen," he turned to Jefferson before he could speak, "She and Grace will give great competition to each other. Though Amelia is five years older."

All of them looked at him gob-smacked.

Hook finally asked what everyone was thinking, "You have an eight-year-old daughter and a lover of longer?"

"She's a Muse." Aurora said softly as she and Maleficent got closer to the center of the conversation, unsure if she was allowed to divulge that information.

Genie looked to Aurora, "She is." He nodded before giving her a look, "You might know things now, you might have read me; some of it needs to stay private. A certain thing needs to stay out of the minds and thoughts of knowledge of certain people." He glanced around the room and looked at Emma.

Aurora immediately understood and nodded, "Of course."

Maleficent actually had enough respect for the Genie to not make her wife tell her whatever she knew. She did not want to mess with whatever Muse he was going home to; she was not going to incur the wrath of that Muse's father for pissing her off.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Genie walked up the familiar stoop. He knocked on the door and saw the excited toddle of his daughter answer the door, "Daddy!" Amelia leapt into his arms.

"Hello, little girl." Genie smiled as he hugged her and brought her into the house.

Calliope was standing in the middle of the living room, having stood at hearing the door. She had a smirk on her face, "Do you have something to tell your daughter?"

Genie smiled his lover's way and nodded. He brought Amelia around the couch and sat with her. Calliope sat next to him, bringing her ankles up beneath her, and leaned against his side. Genie leaned in for a greeting kiss, which the Muse happily gave him. Then he looked to his daughter once more.

"What, Daddy?" She looked down, "Are you gonna go away for a long time again?"

"No." Genie waited to see his daughter's eyes, "No, Amelia. I am no longer needed at the castle. Regina's married Emma, and Emma is a Pure One. She's able to take care of Regina and the kingdom."

Amelia had been told many times that her father would move in when he wasn't needed at the castle. But even though she'd been told countless times, it took a minute for her to realize that this meant he was going to be with her now all the time, "You're… you're gonna move in with me and Mommy now?"

"He's already put his belongings in our room." Calliope mused as she watched the excitement in her daughter's eyes.

Amelia fell against her father as tears came to her eyes. She'd never been so happy in her whole life.

Genie hugged her back tight. He looked to his lover, who moved closer to him. She kissed his cheek before kissing his mouth, "Welcome home." She said softly.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Maybe the new Shadow Queen hasn't been exaggerating. Everyone does appear to be leaving." Jefferson said as he and Pinocchio walked the main hall that led to their different quarters.

"Yes, who expected that of Genie…?" Pinocchio looked to the side in thought.

Jefferson eyes him, "Where have you been wandering off to lately?"

Pinocchio smiled, "I've been working things out with a girl."

"The girl from before?"

"The very same."

"Are you going there tonight?"

Pinocchio pulled out a vial of traveling dust, "As soon as we're done talking."

"Don't let me stop you. You deserve happiness, the same as everyone else, old friend."

"As do you." Pinocchio looked at Jefferson's door, "Delaney is a gorgeous creature. She's good with your child, beautiful…"

"Are you suggesting that Delaney and I…?"

"I'm suggesting that Delaney and you…" Pinocchio laughed at Jefferson's confused reaction. He clapped his shoulder, "I know that Grace's mother was your one true love… But maybe you've yet to meet, or actually look at your soul mate… Maybe you get a second chance at love. I do." With that, Pinocchio sprinkled some of the traveling dust on his head and disappeared.

Jefferson knit his brows as he turned and walked in to his quarters. Just as he shut and locked the door, he turned to find Delaney shutting Grace's door quietly.

She smiled softly, apologetically, "I know it's far past her bedtime, but she had questions as soon as we received word that Genie left."

Jefferson opened his mouth, but Delaney put her hands up, asking him to let her continue, "She wanted to know if she'd ever see him again because she liked him."

Delaney laughed as she remembered how Grace said the words, "I told her that Genie was like you. I told her that the Genie would be exactly like you if she and I lived outside the castle. Then of course, that launched into another conversation of me having to explain to her that I wasn't her mother but her caretaker and that's the only reason I would be living out of the castle with her…"

The woman bit her lip before continuing, "I know that should have been a question for you to answer considering you're an advisor, but you weren't here and she was in one of her 'I need answers now!' moods…"

Jefferson chuckled and looked down as he walked over to the fireplace and started a fire, "It's fine, Delaney. I was simply going to say thank you." He sat down on the end of the couch and gestured for her to sit with him as well.

"Oh…" She sat down on the other end of the three-person couch, "You're welcome." She swallowed and crossed her arms and legs as she watched the fire.

Jefferson let his head fall back against the couch, he tilted it and looked at Delaney. She wasn't looking back at him. He stared at her profile; there was no denying Pinocchio when he said that she was beautiful. And Grace loved her. Apparently she loved her so much, she asked her why Delaney wasn't her mother.

"You're staring, Jefferson." Delaney finally said and turned to look at him.

"I have a tendency to do that when the subject is worth staring at."

Delaney blushed. She didn't let the compliment deter from actual grown-up banter, "So, I'm merely a subject?"

"No." Jefferson's tone was serious. He turned and sat forward, resting his arms on his knees, "Pinocchio thinks we'd make a good couple."

"Well, I've wondered if you two were ever going to take the plunge." Delaney joked.

Jefferson turned and looked at her; he nodded, admitting he deserved that deflection of the actual subject. He took a breath, "Pinocchio thinks that you and I would be a good couple." He spoke softly.

Delaney stared at him. She hadn't expected this, but she wasn't going to not take an opportunity when it arose, "What do you think?"

"I think that you're completely lovely. I think you're beautiful; you're obviously good with Grace. And, I think that when I'm around you, I feel a little more sane, a little more grounded." He looked away from her.

Delaney stared on. She scooted over to him and placed a hand on his knee and the other dared to touch his the back of his neck, stroking the hair at the nape of his neck, "Jefferson?"

"I think there's something between us. I've ignored for so long because I didn't… I didn't think that it could happen." He looked at her, "But things are changing, everyone in the castle seems happy, happier…" He looked down once more in thought, "They're going for things they want now. Genie has a _family_… Pinocchio is working things out with a girl. Hook and Bae are leaving on a trip tomorrow… I don't know what Graham is doing, but he left the castle after making sure Hook got to his quarters…" He let his eyes fall on her face again, "All the change is making me think that I might be able to have something I didn't think I'd ever be allowed again…"

"Ever since I was hired, I've been falling for you. You were a mess and you were completely mad, but there were still pieces that made sense. I saw you underneath all the crazy. And now you've become this upstanding, good, sensible, stable man. You're an advisor to the Shadow Queens. You're the man I knew I'd seen before…" Delaney trailed off, "I'm just saying that I think there's something between us too."

Jefferson stared into her eyes. He leaned forward, and waited, letting her finish closing the distance if she wanted.

She did. She pressed her lips against his and after a moment, they pulled back. Only enough to look and see if the other was satisfied with the kiss. Then, they fell into each other.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Pinocchio was standing outside a now familiar wall of a castle. He looked around and picked up a few rocks, chucking them at the second story window. "Rapunzel, Rapunzel!" He said once the window opened.

A rope flew out the window and he was quick to climb. As soon as he reached the sill, lips met his, "Hello, Rapunzel." He smiled a flirty smile.

"You're a little drunk, aren't you?" She said as she wiped her mouth, having tasted the alcohol on his lips.

"I'm sober enough to be let in and to talk with you." He gave her a pleading look.

She crossed her arms, but stepped further into her room, "If my parent's find you here…"

"Must we have this conversation every night?" He asked after he scrambled in and walked over to the shorthaired brunette, hugging her and kissing her cheek.

Rapunzel eyed him, "Why've you been drinking?"

"We were sending Hook and Baelfire off…" Pinocchio sat in a nearby chair and rubbed his face, "And apparently Genie."

"Genie? What happened to him?"

"He's his own _family_. He's got a lover and a child. She's a Muse; I can only imagine how powerful that little girl is." He shook his head, "Genie claimed he was no longer needed. That's the only reason he was staying in the first place. I don't blame him. But, I'm not sure he's not needed…"

"Sounds like things are changing in your lands…"

"They are."

"Are you sober enough to talk about it?"

Pinocchio looked into her eyes making sure of what she was asking before her turned away, "Rapunzel…" He almost whined, telling her he didn't want to talk about it.

"I get it. Your family is there, mine is here. You can't leave them, and I don't know that I can either. I just got them a few years ago…"

"I'm not asking you to leave your parents."

"You're not volunteering to leave the Shadow Castle either…" She looked down and back up, "I've been thinking about it. Thinking pretty hard."

Pinocchio looked at her in question.

"I'll move there. I'll go to the Shadow Lands with you, if we can come back once a week for a day trip or to spend the night and leave in the morning kind of thing… The Shadow Lands, your family gives you the adventures you need, and that's good because you would go crazy here. So, I'll go with you as long as we come back and see my parents once a week."

Pinocchio stood. He smiled as he walked over, "You're forgetting something very important…"

"What's that?"

"I've yet to ask you to marry me…"

"You're going to now because you love me and you know it would make me happy." She smirked as she watched the emotions play in Pinocchio's eyes.

He simply nodded and got down on one knee.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Graham made his way into 'The Ugly Duckling.' There, he saw a particularly drunk man running his hand up and down Ruby's leg. Just as he was going to pull the bloke outside, Ruby grabbed the hand, twisted, walked him across the entire bar and threw him outside herself.

She looked to the new patron in apology before realizing who it was. She smiled at him and let her fingers travel subtly across his stomach as she passed him by once more.

He swallowed hard. When they played their version of the quiet game, he tended to come home with scratches on his back. He walked to the bar and sat down. She gave him a beer and he nursed it the rest of the night; he was more caught up with her teasing him every chance she got as she flirted with customers, making him jealous, or as she simply bent over tables, always angling her ass in his direction.

As she ushered the last of the barflies out and locked the door, Graham downed what was left of his drink. She turned around, leaning against the door and stared at him.

He wiped the foam from his scruff and stared back at her, want in his eyes. She smirked and walked to the jukebox. She put in a coin and pushed a couple buttons.

Music filled the air as Ruby made her way over to Graham, then the lyrics, "Oh, my love, my darling, I've hungered for your touch, a long, lonely time. And time goes by so slowly, and time can do so much. Are you still mine?"

Ruby loved to be as cheesy as possible when she chose songs especially when she decided on the Righteous Brothers, but she always made the cheese factor fade into the background as soon as she looked at him.

She took his face and pressed their lips together. It was no time before the kiss became heated and she was lifted onto the bar's counter. But, as Graham tore the small waitress' half apron from her front, he realized it was too high a surface. He pulled her off the counter and moved them to a wall as they ripped each other's shirts off and he set to exploring his love's body.

Soon, though, he pushed them from the wall and turned to a table. He lay her down and kissed her sternum to her navel before he stood up and looked down at her. His hands ran over her thighs as he stared at her, silently telling her the three words he couldn't voice in that moment.

She smiled at him before lifting her hips, "Show me." She said by way of answering his unsaid admittance of love for her.

He nodded and leaned back down, kissing her with everything he had as he removed her shorts.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Maleficent was between her wife's naked legs. She was taking her time, slowly kissing her way down Briar Rose's form.

Just as Maleficent couldn't stand it and pushed back up the auburn haired woman's form, pressing their bodies together completely, Aurora spoke, "Everything is going to change now." She whispered when Maleficent's ear was close.

Maleficent immediately stopped and pulled from the other woman, "Damn it." She moved from the bed and grabbed her robe.

"Where are you going?" Aurora asked.

"Away from you and your naked form, my love." Maleficent said as she walked into the living room.

Aurora and her naked form followed her wife, not bothering to get a robe, "Why?"

Maleficent gave her a look like she should already know why, "I'm not ready to be a parent. I'm just barely hanging on to the fact that I finally have you. I'm too messed up for a kid…"

"Me too." Aurora nodded.

Maleficent knit her brows, "So… that's not what 'everything is going to change now' meant?"

Aurora smiled and shook her head, "No. We're not going to have a baby. Don't fret."

"Is someone?"

"Lots of people will." Aurora moved back to their bedroom, "But you? You could have sex… right now, with me, if you're done freaking out."

Maleficent playfully glared as she followed her wife, "You are going to be the death of me. Don't say things like that while we're in bed like we were ever again. Please."

Aurora laughed, "I'll think about it." She untied her wife's robe, "I just meant that everyone is getting a happy ending… or a new beginning…" She pulled the robe from the blonde's shoulders, "Like us. We're getting a new beginning." She leaned in and kissed her wife. "Begin anew with me." She kissed her again then crawled on the bed, "Right now."

Maleficent pursed her lips as she looked over her wife's naked form, "Gladly."

**AN: Emma's boys are the next chapter. Thoughts and feels? Please read and review!**


	29. Chapter 29

**AN: The last few scene changes look like this: ~0~0~ instead of this: ~0~0~0~0~0~. This is because these last few scenes all happen consecutively and aren't separating from person to person or kingdom to kingdom, merely time and place in the Shadow Castle (and sometimes from person to person still inside the castle).**

Emma was sprawled half naked on the bed. Her wife had managed to take control and keep control; Emma was helpless under her touch.

"I'm so excited Chip is coming back!" Emma said happily.

"Hey." Regina looked down at the blonde as she crawled and settled astride Emma's hips. "I'm supposed to be lording my power of seduction over you and you're supposed to be putty in my hands…"

Emma gave her wife a kinky smirk, "That sounds like fun."

"Then be putty in my hands!" Regina half-whined.

"Damn, darling that is so sexy…" Emma looked off to the side to show just how sarcastic she was being.

Regina didn't do anything in response; she simply stared at her. A stare down. When nothing else worked, a stare down did.

Emma quickly swallowed and looked over the woman on top of her, a new wave of lust running through her.

Regina's stare turned playful, "You still thinking about Chip?"

"Who?" Emma genuinely couldn't place the name.

Regina smirked. "Are you going to let me ravish your naked body?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, sir." Emma gave a cheeky smile as she sat up, wrapped her arms around the witch and turned them around so she was now on top, "I love you, wife."

"I love you too. Now, let me ravish you." Regina commanded, snapping her fingers so she was on top again.

"Mmm… Magic. I like it when we use magic…"

Regina smirked, "I know." She let her hands fall to Emma's tummy and let the magic flow out of her over Emma. She watched as the blonde began to twitch and moan, and she smirked as she finally got the control she'd been wanting. "You're mine now."

"Always."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Chip had been traveling for only a day when he heard scared muffled cries in the dark woods. He veered off course and made his way into the forest's depths.

Just as the sun was dawning on the horizon, he found two kids, two human kids still alive, looking to be starving and banged up.

"Good gods." He whispered before he ran over to them, "What's happened here?"

"We got lost." The little boy whispered out.

"Why do I feel like that's not the whole story?"

"Our parents can't afford us anymore. They lost us on purpose." The girl looked up at him, "We tried to find our way back. Please help us?"

Chip stared hard at the little girl, trying to understand why she thought he would just leave them. Without coming up with a good reason that wasn't people just pretended not to see them, he scooped them up and looked to his horse, "East. The nearest village. That's where I'm taking them. Meet me up as soon as you can, okay?"

His horse nodded his head and stopped his foot. Chip ran off, full wolf speed. The horse kept up for a while, but sooner rather than later, Chip outran him.

As Chip got to the tiny, main town of the village, he looked along the one large street that had yet to open for the morning to find a doctor's office, but no hospital. He ran the kids to the office doors and started kicking on the door by way of knocking.

"Hello?! Anyone in there? Open up! It's an emergency! I have two kids! Please!" He hollered between his kicking.

A light turned on and a small, brunette woman came to the door, unlocking it, "What's happened?" She flipped her brown mane from her lab coat as she ushered them inside.

Chip followed her and put them both on the examination table, "I found them in the middle of the woods." He said as he took a moment to catch his breath.

The doctor, who had put her stethoscope on to check the children's breathing, looked his direction, "And you…carried them the whole way here?"

"Yes." Chip nodded.

"From the _middle_ of the woods? What constitutes the middle of the woods?"

"The halfway mark between the Western Castle and this town." Chip said, still catching his breath.

The doctor looked at the children, "That had to have been at least a day's journey… Did you feed them?"

"No, it only took a half hour and I've no food."

"It took you only a half hour? What are you? A werewolf?"

"Yes." Chip said as he finally looked to the doctor he had been talking with.

The doctor turned and looked at him with surprise, "You're a werewolf?" She didn't break his stare, if anything she made it more intense, "The only werewolves in this land are one of the queens and the prince. Though no one knows the second for certain, though there are rumors about what's happened at the Battle Royale…"

Chip nodded, "Yes, we're rare breeds nowadays."

The doctor took him in. She saw the insignia he often covered, and would have been in that moment had he not just pushed himself to the limit to get those kids to safety. She looked back to his eyes, "You're Prince Chip…"

Chip swallowed and glanced to the children behind her, "Can you just help them?"

As the doctor worked on the children, Chip watched her. He watched her put in IVs to get them hydrated, he watched her clean and bandage their wounds, he watched her make them feel safe. He just watched her. He'd never seen anyone so beautiful in his life. Finally, as they moved them to separate beds and let them sleep, Chip had the courage to ask, "What's your name?"

"Allison." She smiled, "Dr. Allison Cameron, MD, if you want my full title." She looked him over, "You don't look well. Do you mind if I look you over? I studied werewolf biology in med school…"

"Werewolf biology?" Chip asked as he watched Allison pull and tear the white roll of paper on the bed for him to sit on.

"I was curious of how someone could look so human and change with the moon's cycle…" She shrugged.

He nodded, "I must warn you… I'm nothing like you've studied." He said as he took his shirt off, thinking she was going to give him a physical.

Allison ogled. She felt herself ogle the man—the prince!—before her and she had to turn about face from him. She bit her lips and shook her head. "I'm sorry…" She turned back around, "How's that?"

"Well, please don't scream because the last thing I'd ever do to someone as perfect as you is want to scare you, but…" He let his face change, "I can half change and fully change whenever I feel."

Allison was still staring, but she was no longer ogling. She grabbed his face and brought it closer to her. It felt oddly familiar, but Chip didn't know why. Everyone tended toward the reaction after he'd made friends with them, or they were his mothers. She examined his face, zeroing in on his forehead and eyes, "Interesting." She breathed as she moved to his mouth and teeth.

She left the room and Chip wasn't sure what to do with that, so he followed. He followed her into a small kitchenette and he moved behind her to see what she was pulling from the refrigerator. But Allison stood and turned before he could think to move back and she ran into him, or maybe he just didn't want to move back because he knew this would happen. The bottle on his chest was cold, but it was worth it to see this woman, who clearly was never flustered.

"Sorry." Chip said, "I didn't know if I should follow or not…"

Allison stared at the middle of his surprisingly hairless chest. She swallowed, "You, um… You need to drink this. You've overexerted yourself. You'll feel it soon."

"So, I probably shouldn't leave right away, then?" He gave her a cheeky grin he'd learned from… someone he couldn't think of in that moment.

Allison smiled up at him, "No, I'm recommending you recoup, take it easy, and don't travel for a couple days."

Chip smiled, "I think I can handle that, doc." He took the bottle from her and opened it, flexing a lot more than needed, but getting all the attention he wanted.

Chip never made it to the Shadow Lands. He sent a note with a postmark from the town he'd made it to, a town that is famously not on the map, a town that his land and the Shadow Kingdom border. The town with Dr. Allison Cameron, MD.

He spent all his time there. Each two weeks, he began going to the town, rather than to the Shadow Kingdom and then he came home. Red and Belle followed him one trip; Red hadn't smelled either Shadow Queen on him, but she smelled a girl and she and Belle both knew their son was in love.

Chip had known that his mothers followed him, and he knew that they knew that he let them follow him. He was actually ready for them to meet Allison. But nerves came, and he tried to ignore them as he knocked on the door to her office then stepped back down the five porch steps.

Allison walked out and gave him a soft smile as she only stepped down one of the steps before they were the same height. She reached out to his cheek and rubbed it with the pad of her thumb before she leaned forward on her tiptoes and let him catch her before he kissed her. He pulled her down the rest of the stairs and bent down the few inches as he held her kiss. He pecked her twice more before standing straight.

"I missed you." She said softly.

"I missed you too." His eyes darted around.

This made Allison knit her brows, "What?"

Chip swallowed his pride, "My moms are here. They followed me; they think they're still stealthy and I can't smell them even though they know I know they followed me."

"But you can tell them you know they're here. Especially if they already know you know…" Allison knit her brows and looked down, making sure she got the wording of that sentence right. Then she realized that they were there, in the town somewhere. "Are they—?"

"You don't have to meet them, but I'd like you to some day."

Allison stared at her boyfriend, "I'm not dressed to meet your mothers. I'm not dressed to even be in your presence…"

Chip smiled that boyish smile and kissed her cheek, "You're lovely." He offered his hand.

She took it.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Cordelia would you at least consider?!" Arely swam after the woman as she turned and started moving away from him. He'd asked his grandfather to temporarily turn him merman so he could spend time with the very woman that was driving him mad.

Cordelia gave him a look, "Consider going up there? No." The mermaid shook her head and started making her way away from the man.

"Why not?" Arely stopped her again.

"Because! Humans are greedy. Humans are annoying. Humans are idiots. They're lost, they're scared, they're—"

"Humans are flawed, yes. But we are also passionate. We're loving. We're good. Do you remember Regina? Emma? You didn't actually see them together, but you saw their raw, unbridled love. How can you tell me that you don't want to experience that?"

Cordelia crossed her arms and looked around, "If it's love you want, you can have that with me here."

"I can have it with you up there too. Mermaids don't cuddle. Partners don't sleep next to each other, you don't hold each other for long periods. You can't dance. You can't stroll. You can't sit in the morning sun and thank the gods for everything you've been given. You just… swim."

Cordelia looked him over, "Yes, that not sleeping is wearing you down…"

"Can I show you something?" Arely ignored her last statement; she'd said it as an insult and he didn't care to argue over sleep.

"What?"

Arely offered his hand, "Please?"

Cordelia stared at the hand and back to him, "Fine." She took his hand.

Arely led her to a place his father told him about.

"Where are we going?" Cordelia asked as she saw the cavern they were approaching. She pulled her hand from his.

Arely smiled, "Don't worry, it's nothing bad." He proffered it once more, "I promise."

She eyed him for a long moment before finally taking his hand again.

As they entered the cavern, they saw the makeshift shelves of mainly destroyed human trinkets.

"Wow, look at this stuff…" Cordelia picked up a corkscrew, "There must be twenty of these things here."

Arely looked over her shoulder, "Yeah, that's a corkscrew. My father used to call them thing-a-ma-bobs." He chuckled.

"What's a corkscrew do? It's kind of scary looking…"

"It opens wine bottles—any bottles that require corks."

Cordelia nodded. She swam around, picked up and turned over, shattered and broken things. She came upon a picture that had been ripped in half. The part she held had a burning candle on it. She touched the flame.

Arely had followed her and was standing behind her, "It's called fire."

"I've heard of it. Why does it burn? What's 'burn'?"

Arely smiled at her, "It burns because it's hot. That's only if you touch it. In reality it's more enchanting than the picture; it also warms you." He placed a hand on her shoulder, "That's another thing about being human. You can feel warmth. You can feel heat in the summer and the bitter chill of the winter. But the best moments are the warm moments, whether you're on the sand or in the arms of a lover."

Cordelia turned around, "If you want to make love to me, you just have to ask. I can show you how it works…"

Arely shook his head, "I don't want that. Not just that. I don't want to make love to you for one night. I want to make love to you for the rest of my life." He moved from her, "I want to show you who I am. I want to ask for forgiveness, lots of forgiveness, for the man I was before you. But most important, I want you."

Cordelia stared at him a moment. She bit her lip as she thought it over.

"Okay."

"…Okay?"

She nodded, "I'll go up there with you. I'll see what all the fuss is about." She turned from him and called over her shoulder, "I've always wanted to know what dancing is like…"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Artie was still on his way home when he heard the rumblings and saw the gathering at the sword in the stone. He told his cousins to go on. He wanted to stick around and watch the clumsy drunks and gallant knights give their try to the sword.

It had become a local attraction over the years. One that Artie never though he'd consider participating in. But, he hid his insignia and watched for the rest of the day.

He took shelter in the nearest Inn and the next morning he decided that he was going to officially take his try. He just wasn't sure when.

He bided his time by people watching the large crowd that always seemed to gather through the daylight. And it was as his eye traveled over the people just coming down did he see the girl he'd had a major crush on in high school. She had been a real nerd back then too, but that's what made them so similar. Now, though, her braces were off, her face was cleared and she was clearly sought after by every man.

"Guinevere." He whispered.

He swiftly, stealthily made his way over to her as she talked with her friends—the same girls that she hung out with in high school.

He coughed to get her attention, "Excuse me, Guinevere?"

"Yeah?" She turned bored at hearing her name from yet another guy, but she was quickly taken aback. "Hi…"

"I'm uh," He smiled as he realized he couldn't remember his own name. That's how beautiful she was.

"You're Prince Arthur…" She smiled sweetly.

He nodded, "We uh, we went to high school together. You probably don't remember me. I wasn't the greatest catch like I am—" An overbearing oaf of a man pushed him as he walked by. It seemed his entire high school congregated in this area; everyone that ever picked on him. "Now." He glared at the oaf as he gathered himself.

"Yeah, I can really see how much you've changed…"

Artie narrowed his brows, "I can't tell if you're being facetious or not."

She smiled, "Are you asking me to tell you or stating a fact?"

"A little of both, I suppose." He smiled back to her.

She looked down and around, "I remember you from high school. And you haven't changed that much, but you have at the same time."

He took that to mean he might get a 'yes' if he asked his next question, "Would you go on a date with me?"

She smiled and tried to silence her friends that all started laughing.

"What are you ladies laughing at?" The same brute from before asked.

"Nothing, Gaston." Guinevere rolled her eyes.

"He asked her on a date!" One of the girls pointed and laughed.

Gaston looked Artie over, "And is our fair Guinevere going to say yes?" He laughed heartily, "Why would you ever consider dating a pipsqueak like this? I'm the only one that's ever come close to removing the sword. Everybody knows it."

"The sword?" Artie laughed, "All I have to do is pull the sword from the stone to prove my worth of Guinevere?" He looked from Gaston to the girl of his dreams, "After I pull it, will you go no a date with me?"

"I would have said 'yes' before…" She whispered.

Artie only smirked before he shouldered Gaston out of the way and he made his way to the rock. He heard many a claim of how small and pathetic and weak looking he was. He heard some people stick up for him, tell them he'd helped vanquish the dark one and Cora, then 'realize' that he must be weak from that. He rolled his eyes as he waited for the man at the stone to finally give up.

He sauntered up to the stone, grabbed the handle and pulled it out like it was an ordinary occurrence. He held onto the sword and walked back over to Guinevere. Everyone was cheering and whooping and hollering around him, but he only had eyes for her. He offered his arm with a smile and she took it.

He turned around, "I've to return to my castle as soon as possible. I must tell my cousins what I've won." He turned back around and continued walking with Guinevere to his horse.

Guinevere let Artie hoist her up and watched as he climbed on himself before she turned, "Do your cousins really care of such legends?" She indicated his sword.

Artie smiled, "Guinevere, I was talking of winning the chance to be with you. You don't mind a full day's trip to the castle do you?"

Guinevere shook her head, "Of course not."

Artie and Guinevere had been engaged for a year before he finally called it off. He told her it was because he was unfaithful and he didn't deserve her; what he didn't tell her was that he was going to go for a ride one day, heard her voice in the stables, and found her doing the horizontal tango with his cousins' and his best knight, Sir Lancelot. No, he let her keep her dignity; after all it wasn't like _he'd_ fallen out of love with her, _she'd_ just fallen in love with another man. It took another two years to get over Gwen, but he did eventually.

Artie had snuck out of the castle as he was prone to do and made his way to the northern stretches of his lands where he found a tavern. He'd heard through commoners' talk that it had good music and great dancing. He ordered a pint and sat in the dark shadows away from everyone; he'd just wanted to take it in.

It wasn't long before a waitress girl caught his eye. He watched her dance with patrons, he watched her interact with barflies, and he watched her wait tables all evening long. He was a moth to a flame that night; completely and utterly drawn to her. And as the crowd came and went, she had to stay and clean. She finally walked over to him and asked him if he was done.

He took her hand before she could reach for his pint, "What's your name?"

"Lyonors." She hadn't looked to see just who was trying to take her hand, she simply tried to pull from him as she did all the men that tried to pick her up.

"Are you involved?"

Lyonors looked at his face finally. She knew exactly who he was, and she quickly became flustered, "Me? No… I… I-I uh.. I, uhmm. Single." She finally pointed to herself, "Uninvolved, unattached, unwed—practically a spinster with all too many cats."

Artie didn't let go of her hand, he simply stood, "Would you like to dance with me?"

Lyonors looked around and saw that only the bartender was left cleaning a mug, staring at them, at her protectively. She smiled his way, letting him know she was fine before turning back to the Prince, "There's no music…the band's already gone home."

"We don't need music…"

Lyonors bit her lip as she stared him in the eyes. She finally turned to the bartender, "I'll lock up, Ralph. You go home."

"You sure?" Ralph eyed the man behind her.

Lyonors nodded, "Yeah, go on home to Stella."

Artie and Lyonors watched Ralph slowly make his way to the door, a scowl on his face the entire time, "Goodnight." He slammed the door behind him.

"I need to finish cleaning. Stay where you are and I'll be done in just a few minutes." Lyonors suddenly got incredibly nervous.

Artie smiled as he watched Lyonors carefully, fully wipe each table down. He helped her turn the chairs over on the tabletops and smirked when she excused herself to the ladies' room. When she came back out, he watched her carefully fold her apron and gently place it on the bar. This was when he walked over to her, he came up behind her so close that she could feel his breath, even his body heat, but he didn't touch her. He simply whispered, "Now will you dance with me?"

Lyonors slowly turned and stared him in the eyes, "Yes."

That dance led to another, and that dance led to Lyonors's bedroom…

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Is this still punishment for not telling you who I was originally?" Dunstan looked to the woman he'd fallen completely head over heals for.

"No." Esmeralda smirked before smiling, "You'd know if I was punishing you for not telling me you're a prince." She looked him over, "You look fine. Now come on."

"But I don't want to go dance in public with you at the festival." Dunstan whined. Djali stared him down and bleated, tapping a hoof against the ground. The Stormhold Prince held his hands I surrender, "Okay!" He said relenting, "Okay, Djali. I will go dance with you and Esmeralda." He patted the goat's head and moved to his lover, "But this is the last one." He said of warning, "The last one for a while, right?"

Esmeralda tried to outstare him, but he was resilient and much too cute to say 'no' to again, "All right." She nodded.

Dunstan smiled as he sat down, over-exuding his confidence in himself, "You love me." He said cheekily.

"Yes, and you love me." Esmeralda was more than certain in her abilities of seduction; men, women, humans, non-humans, everyone had tried to have their way with her. A part-star like her lover was no challenge to her. But he was cute, kind and treated her with the respect she'd never thought she deserved. And that made him just as sexy to her as she was to most everyone. She smirked at him as she straddled his legs and sat, "Right?" She asked, that smirk still on her face.

Dunstan swallowed hard, he was no longer confident in himself. "Yeah…" He breathed out. As he played his answer in his head he felt he sounded unsure and shook it out. He stared into those teal eyes of hers, "Yes, I'm in love with you."

Esmeralda smiled and leaned in, kissing the side of his neck, "I like it when you do that." She moved up to his hear and sucked on his lobe seducing him, melting him.

"Do what?" He barely managed to get the words out.

"I like it when you make sure that I know that you are _in love_ with me rather than you just love me." She pulled and stared into his eyes, "Do you know that I'm in love with you too?"

Dunstan nodded, "That's why you're coming with me to my castle and meeting my family."

Esmeralda nodded, "That is true. That is why I'm doing that…"

Dunstan couldn't handle it anymore; he needed to kiss her. And kiss her he did.

~0~0~0~0~0~

After they got back to France, Gustave's King and Queen told him to take a leave for a few months. They told him he'd done more than enough for them and for the Shadow Kingdom and he deserved to do something for himself.

Gustave jumped on his horse and went straight back to the Shadow kingdom. He wanted to spend time with Kendall and Gwyneth. The both of them were everything he wanted in a woman: they were two women. They were both beautiful and randy; and the women could cook! He felt at home when he was with them, but he didn't know how to express that explicitly. He'd tried to show them both before he left, but they were more preoccupied with giving him a proper sendoff.

He didn't want to cause an uproar in the Shadow Lands by coming back to the castle in all his knightly glory, so he hid his insignia and traveled to the women's shared home that was in the small neighborhood made for the castle workers just east of the castle. It was the middle of the night when he finally showed up. He didn't worry about waking them; he was much too excited at this point.

He saw a light turn on and the muttering of questions between the two before Gwyneth peeked out of the window. She smiled brightly and pushed Kendall out of the way to get the door open.

"Gustave! What are you doing here?" She asked as she hugged him and kissed him before bringing him inside.

Kendall pulled Gwyneth from him so she too could greet him. "Yes, Gustave, what are you doing here. Should you not be with the King and Queen of France?"

"You know, ladies, I got all the way home and my king and queen told me to take some time off. Go and do whatever I felt. The only thing I wanted was to come here and be with you both."

He sat down between them on the couch. He looked to Gwyneth, who leaned in and kissed him then he looked to Kendall who leaned in to kiss him as well. He licked his lips as he looked off in thought.

"What's running through your mind?"

"I'm a greedy man." He said softly as he stood and started pacing. "I could never choose between you. I want you both." He looked over to them, "I hope you're okay with that…"

They were.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Patrick had been given leave not unlike Gustave. Nancy and Edward merely asked where to send word if they needed him.

He told them that he wanted to go camping and fishing and there was a great, almost private spot up in the Eastern Enchanted Forest. Nancy and Edward were smarter, more intuitive, than all the other kingdoms had been led to believe. They knew why their knight failed to pass the second round of the games. And they knew the real reason he was going up there.

They didn't question him on it; they simply smiled and let him go.

He'd thought about stopping for a day to actually fish so he wasn't fully lying to his king and queen, but his want for his boyfriend made him pass at the thought.

He snuck into the castle ground and quickly made his way around to Alexander's room. He threw a couple rocks, "Alexander!" He whispered harshly.

The window flew open and Melody poked her head out, "Next window." She motioned with her head which direction he needed to go.

Patrick covered his mouth in embarrassment and apology. He nodded and started making his way to the next window before he realized it was Princess Melody at the window and not Princess Alexandra. "Princess Melody?" He questioned with knit brows.

Melody smirked as Patrick realized she was just as out of place as he, "You and Alexander aren't the only ones to scream rainbows and piss butterflies…"

Alexandra came to the door, "Melody, what are you—Patrick!" She stared wide-eyed at the knight, "You, uh… Alexander is the next window over."

"He knows." Melody said.

"He knows…" Alexandra nodded dumbly as she stared at the man that found her and her lover out, "Okay. Well…" She stared at him, "Have a nice night."

Patrick smiled, "You too, ladies." He bowed politely before moving to the next window. "Alexander!"

Alexander opened his window and smiled happily when he saw Patrick, "Is it really so hard to count windows?" He laughed as Patrick realized he'd heard the whole exchange and was simply waiting for him to find the right window.

Patrick set to climbing the wall, an easy task because an ivy fence had been built against it. He pulled himself into the window and he and Alexander stared each other in the face, "So, you and your sister both…?"

Alexander nodded, "Yup."

"And you've told each other?"

"Obviously." The prince rolled his eyes as he pulled his window shut.

"How much more small talk are you going to put me through before you let me kiss you?"

Alexander turned from the window and smiled, "None." He walked over to Patrick and wrapped his arms around him, kissing him deeply.

It was as Alexander and Patrick had shed each other of their clothes and fallen into bed, it was as Patrick kissed his way down Alexander's body, it was as the knight silently asked the prince for permission to go further, it was as Alexander nodded his answer that Alexander's door opened.

"Alexander? The guards said that they thought they saw someone trying to sneak into—Oh dear gods!" Ella screamed and turned into her husband's chest.

Thomas stared at the two men. He was red in the face as he did this, but as the two tried to find their clothes and put them on, Ella noticed that his stare was completely vacant.

"Father?" Alexander asked as he looked his parent's general direction.

They didn't receive an answer.

"Thomas…" Ella pushed him he took a step back.

She turned back to her son, "We are going to talk about this as soon as your father gets over his apparent aneurism." She started pushing her husband step by step.

It was as she got Thomas out of the room, after he couldn't see Alexander and Patrick anymore that he finally came to. He ran back in and grabbed a still-naked-from-the-waist-up-too-concerned-for-hi s-lover-at-the-moment Patrick by the shoulder.

As soon as the knight turned, he received a punch in the face, courtesy of the King of the Enchanted East.

"That is my SON!" The king bellowed for the entire castle to hear.

"Father!" Alexander screamed.

Patrick scrambled to get up and as soon as he did, Thomas was after him.

"Thomas!" Ella tried to intervene.

"Patrick!" Alexander yelped as he saw his father lunge with another punch.

Melody and Alexandra rushed in to see the rest of the exchange.

"Daddy!" Alexandra cried as she watched him go after Patrick.

Patrick ducked from that particular swing, and just barely got out of the way for the second, "Your Majesty, I apologize that you had to see us like that, it's just that we—" he was shoved into the wall. "I love your son!" He screamed. He ducked from another punch just in time and this time, he decided he was done not fighting back. He pushed from the wall as the king took a moment to look at his hand and bulldozed the man out of his space, "I love him!" He yelled as he looked down at the king that had fallen on his ass. "I love him…" He spoke quietly this time as the king didn't move to stand.

"He's my son." The king said again. "You've taken everything from him."

"He's taken nothing from me, father." Alexander walked over to Patrick.

"He's taken your innocence." Thomas spoke gruffly.

Both the prince and the knight looked up guiltily. "He's taken that…" Alexander admitted and before he could continue his father started in.

"He's my son. He's my boy." Thomas had angry tears lining his eyes. "You don't deserve him."

Patrick nodded, "I know…" He said as if it were common knowledge, "But I try everyday to change that."

Melody interrupted the silent moment between Thomas and Patrick. "So… it's good that you found out about Patrick, and hopefully wasted all your energy with him, or, you know, draw the line at hitting women because like Patrick loves your son, I love your daughter…"

Thomas and Ella turned to the Caspian Princess and back to Patrick before doing a double take to see who it was.

Alexandra stepped in front of her as she saw fire in both parents eyes, "She's nothing like Arely!" She cried hoping that did the trick.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Red and Belle had been in communications with Emma ever since they met Allison. They did not tell her that this woman that Chip fell in love with was Emma's doppelganger. No, they wanted to save that for when they actually dragged the two up to meet the Shadow Queens. They were fortunate enough to easily convince their son that he owed Emma more than a letter every two weeks that promised his presence the next two weeks then failing to show.

So, it was with giddy eyes that the Western Queens showed up at the Shadow castle with their son and his girlfriend in the carriage behind them.

Emma had been running around excitedly like she did when she was young. She weaved through both her parents, her great-grandfather, her great-aunt, Aurora and her wife about three times before Regina made her stop by way of hugging her and trying to keep her in place.

"But I'm so excited! They're gonna be here soon!" She looked over to the Morpheus princess, "Right, Aurora? They're coming soon?"

Aurora stared at Emma for a moment, taking her in, before she nodded, "A half hour or so." She turned to her wife, "Let's go to our room."

"What? Why? I'm rather enjoying watching her run rampant…" Maleficent indicated the other blonde.

"I have secrets and I need to share them. I promise to bring you back for the good parts." Aurora responded.

Maleficent turned to everyone in the dining room, "We'll be in our room."

Emma didn't even take the time to smirk like she normally would as she broke from her lover's hold, and started zipping around with her abundant energy, "Have fun!" She waved at the smoke cloud as it formed and dissipated, thinking they were going up to have sex rather than just talk; that seemed to be the reason they left more often than not.

"I think I'm gonna try to float again… or fly!" The remaining blonde started running to take off in a leap, but Regina zapped a shackle to Emma's ankle and padlocked it to the ground causing the blonde to trip and fall; thankfully Regina knew this would happen and zapped a few pillows to catch her. "Hey!" Emma glared to her wife after picking her face from the soft pillow.

"Thank you…" Snow mouthed.

Regina smirked at her mother-in-law and nodded. She stood and walked over to the blonde that sat, waiting to be scolded, "Darling?"

"Yes, my love?" Emma asked with puppy eyes.

Regina knelt down, "You need to calm down…" She spoke softly, "What is it going to take to make you calm down?"

Dirty immediately made its way into Emma's eyes. Regina nodded before Emma could say a thing and turned to her parents-in-law, "We'll see you both later…"

~0~0~

Red and Belle arrived in their carriage first. Chip and Allison were about 5 minutes behind them, mainly so that Chip and Red wouldn't eavesdrop so easily on conversations of the other pair. Emma ran down the steps, pushing past her wife and her parents, "Red! Red!" Had she been a child, this is the part where she would have jumped in Red's arms.

"Emma!" Red looked at her with a matching excited face.

"Boy have you got to see something amazing!" Both Emma and Red said at the same time.

"... In about 5 minutes." Red finished, not bothered with the fact that she and the new Shadow Queen said the same thing.

Emma eyed the Western Queen a moment then looked to her wife before shrugging, "Me first then!" She took Red by the hand and they ran up the stairs. Emma started yelling at the guards, "Someone get Graham and Ruby!" She cried, "Someone get Graham and Ruby! Get them now! I need Ruby! Tell them to go to the sunroom 'cause that's were Regina said we were gonna catch up! Please!" She turned back to Red as they got into the sunroom. She was going to speak, but was interrupted by her mother, who followed them along with Charming and Van Dyke, not wanting to miss Ruby and Red seeing each other for the first time, and Belle who wanted to know what was going on.

"It's disturbing how you both can act as though you've known each other all your lives…" Snow commented.

"Very." Belle added.

Maleficent and Aurora appeared. Maleficent had a wicked smile on her face, "We're back for the… festivities."

Emma knit her brows as she looked the two women over, "Okay…" She heard muffled voices from the hallway and skipped off, hoping it was Ruby and Graham, but it was only Chip, his girlfriend back-faced to her, and her smiling, flirting wife facing her—Wait… Flirting?

Emma crossed her arms, "Regina?" She glared as she marched back into the room, telling her wife to watch herself. She didn't give Chip or his girlfriend a second glance; she was too busy proving a point.

Regina quickly caught up to the blonde and squeezed her hand, "Darling, don't be rude… You need to meet Allison." She said as Allison and Chip walked into the room.

Emma and Allison locked eyes on each other. "Woah…" They said at the same time.

Allison walked closer, as did Emma. They stared at the woman before them. Emma raised her right hand and Allison raised her left. They dropped those hands and moved to the other ones, playing mirror with each other. Finally, Emma reached out and pinched Allison's shoulder.

Allison jumped and reached for the spot Emma just touched, "This is fascinating…"

"It is…" Regina commented from behind her wife, "It really is." She smiled to the brunette version of her wife.

It was as Emma turned to give her wife a glare, letting her know that she still heard flirty in her tone, and as Allison turned to look at her boyfriend in bewilderment, that Ruby and Graham walked in.

Ruby stood next to what she assumed was one of the Western Queens as they were supposed to be coming to the castle and she was pretty positive she'd never met the woman before. She didn't look the woman's direction as she was too transfixed on Emma's double, "What, so, Emma's managed to clone herself?" She asked.

The Western Queen, watching as the two look-alikes turned back at each other. "No, my son fell in love with the brunette version and he honestly doesn't see the resemblance. Even though my wife and I have tried countless ways to tell him."

The accent of the woman caught Ruby by surprise, "So you decided to show him instead?" She chuckled as she looked to the Western Queen finally.

The Western Queen looked back to Ruby with a smile on her face as well, but the smile faded as she saw her wife with slightly exaggerated make-up and a streak of red added to her hair, "Oh my good gods…" Belle stared wide-eyed at the woman before her. She grabbed Ruby's face and pinched her cheek then examined her ruby red painted lips, "You look just like my wife!" She tried to open Ruby's eye by stretching the brunette's brow up and the apple of her cheek down, "You look just like my wife!" She said again.

Red turned from watching Emma and Allison interact to the commotion next to her, "Darling!" She pried her wife from the other woman then took in the woman before them. "Holy gods."

Maleficent and Aurora watched all the excitement as they stood next to Snow and Charming, who were both wide-eyed, trying to keep up like everyone else.

Aurora smirked, causing Maleficent to need to know what was happening, "What? Why are you making that amused face?"

"Five people are thinking dirty thoughts…" She smiled wide as she watched Maleficent to survey the people before them to guess who were the dirty thinkers. She continued as the blonde looked at everyone, "Two are amazed with how much they look alike. One doesn't want Emma to be mean, but doesn't want to admit that finally seeing them next to each other he sees the resemblance that his mothers tried so hard to make him see."

Maleficent looked at her, "Okay, who are the five? I thought it my great-niece, but she's got to be one of the two… So who are the five?"

"The brunette Shadow Queen—"

Maleficent smirked, "The brunette Shadow Queen? Kinky little vixen of the bed—"

"Maleficent!" Snow turned to her, finally gaining a voice after all the excitement, "That is my daughter-in-law!"

~0~0~

"Gods, Allison is awesome." Emma said as she and Regina moved around their quarters for the evening.

"Indeed. Chip is a lucky man." Regina moved to the bathroom, "She's so smart, and unexpectedly sarcastic, and witty, and just… nice."

Emma glared her wife's general direction as she stripped and grabbed her pajamas, "She's not nice. She's… bittersweet."

"Bittersweet?" Regina came in from the bathroom to stare at the woman before her.

"'Nice' sees past faults and tries to bring people up all the time. She's lovely, but I get the feeling that if you stray from her moral compass that she will judge you with a fiery passion…" Emma looked off to the side, "But, I don't know what that moral compass is, seeing that she and Chip schtupped the first night they met, and Aurora told me that she once had a re-lay-me-ship with a man just out of convenience…" Emma looked to her wife, "So… that's all I'm going to say on that."

"You've said more than you should." Regina scolded her wife as she moved to her closet, changing into her silk nightgown, and moving back into the bathroom.

Emma looked to the woman in the bathroom as best she could, "You find that sexy in a gross way." The blonde shook her head, "There is no beating this woman! What do I have to do to win with you?"

A wave of nausea fell over Regina. She looked at her drawer of the bathroom counter and carefully walked over, opening it, and picking up the pregnancy test she'd taken earlier that day.

She had been feeling nauseated in spurts since the day Allison, Chip, Red and Belle arrived for their visit the week and a half before, and after Allison cornered her and questioned what she thought she'd observed, she knew that she had to take a test to make sure. She stared down at the positive sign.

"Hey are you feeling okay? You didn't respond… I know I'm either in trouble or you're not feeling well when you don't respond right away… And you're not yelling at me now that I've started talking again…" Emma's logic was sound.

The blonde peered into the mirror to see Regina holding what she thought was a thermometer, "Oh, darling, what's your temperature?" She walked over and took it from her wife. She looked down and stared at it. It took a moment to process that it wasn't in fact a thermometer, but a pregnancy test. "Wait…" She knit her brows and looked up at Regina, "You're pregnant?"

**AN: Thoughts and feels? Please Read and Review!**


	30. Real Epilogue

**AN: A few (a lot?) of you might be wondering what happened to the chapter that had been posted (Epilogue I). It has its own home now in a completely separate story. That's what the epilogue became: A separate story. And, unfortunately it took a reviewer and a couple of good friends to make me realize that this separate story took away from the real story. So, this is a much shorter Epilogue that I feel stays truer to the story (*if there are reviews dated before September 25, 2013 or before they belong to the chapter I took down).**

**If you are interested in reading the other version of the epilogue, the story is not-so-cleverly titled "The Alternate Epilogue of The Games."**

**Now, I hope you enjoy this ending.**

The next few months for Emma and Regina were a blur of excitement. The hustle and hubbub around the castle was happily personified as everyone learned that they were going to be welcoming a little Shadow Princess to the world.

Chip and Allison's initial visit turned to regular visits. After Allison met everyone she fell in love with them and liked coming to see them; of course, she also came to check up on the pregnant Shadow Queen—she gladly accepted the offer of being the woman's prenatal doctor.

Regina was now eight months pregnant and completely exhausted. Emma just wanted to be with her wife. She would be the first to exclaim all the ways that she loves her wife, and that she'd been in love with her since she saw her—that it hit her like a bolt of lightning. Everyday that passed she only loved that brunette, brown eyed, angel of a woman more. And she absolutely adored the sight of her wife pregnant. Knowing that her baby was in Regina's belly was the biggest turn-on to Emma.

Emma had spent the evening with her wife alone in their room. She gave the woman's aching muscles relief as she massaged the knots out from neck to toe, and now, as Regina was falling asleep, she simply let her fingers trail over the exposed skin of her wife's stomach.

Regina's pajamas hadn't changed; she still wore silk and lace babydolls, only now, she only wore them with flyaway fronts. As Emma's fingers circled her wife's protruding navel for the umpteenth time, Regina giggled softly. Emma stopped and let her hand splay out on the brunette's belly and looked up to the woman's face.

Regina opened an eye, checking to see if she had her wife's attention before closing it once more, "She loves you." Her voice was soft not unlike her giggle.

"Yeah?" Emma grinned wide.

"She's trying to follow your finger and kick it… It's not working in her favor. She keeps kicking my side."

"Then how do you know that's what she's trying to do?"

A gentle smile washed over her face as she opened her eyes and looked up to her wife, "Because I just do."

Emma leaned down and pecked her wife's lips, "That is a very good reason." She kissed the woman before her again before pulling away, concentrating on trailing her fingers over her wife's rounded stomach once more.

"Emma?" Regina's eyes locked with the blonde's once more.

"Yes, my love?"

"Can it be bed time?" She sighed.

It was Emma's turn to giggle lightly, "We're already in bed, darling…"

"I know. But it's still rather early." Regina deflated as she looked to their bedside clock to see that she was right.

"I suppose compared to the time we used to go to bed, it is early, yes."

"Can we turn the lights off and go to sleep?" The brunette's eyes were pleading.

Emma merely smiled a warm smile and looked around the room, turning all the lights off as she glanced at them. She then, scooted down the bed and cocooned her wife and herself in their blankets, letting Regina turn on her side before wrapping a secure arm around her wife's stomach protecting her and their baby.

"How's that?" The blonde asked as she dropped a kiss on Regina's shoulder.

"Perfect." Regina tilted her head, waiting for a kiss goodnight, "Just perfect." She said after receiving what she wanted.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"AAAAHHHH!"

Emma's scream broke the quiet hum of sound sleeping in the room. Regina (and the baby) jumped in fear. Regina had made it far away from her wife all the way to the very edge of their Alaskan King bed. Rubbing her belly to sooth the baby, she turned and stared, wide eyed at her wife. She could tell by the light provided by the moon that Emma was still fast asleep.

"Emma?" Regina finally whispered as she got over her sudden irritation that Emma could sleep through anything including her own screams.

"Grandmother?"

"…No… It's your wife. Emma…?" She stared, waiting for her wife to wake. Nothing. She glared at the woman, jealous that Emma was still conked out while she was very much awake. But as she narrowed her eyes, she zeroed in on the blonde's pink lips and found them moving as if she were talking. A smile fell over the original Shadow Queen's face. Eva had come to Emma for a visit.

She sighed and settled back down; she would forgive her grandmother-in-law for scaring her wife and in turn scaring her—she would forgive her just this once.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma walked along the corridor of Rumplestilskin and Cora's underground castle; something she often ventured back to a simulated version of the castle in her dreams to make sure everything was still as it should be: Completely quiet to the point of creepy.

This time though, something was different. Something was off. She could feel something else in the castle. She walked into the room that Dr. Frankenstein had used as his 'lab'. The pain of the electric shocks came back to her as the table she'd been strapped to was still there. She turned away from the lab and made her way into the cell.

"You come here often?"

"AAAAHHHH!" Emma jumped and turned around, her axe drawn quickly.

Eva rolled her eyes and moved the blade out of her way as she looked about the cell she'd first come to her granddaughter in, "It's kind of a dark and dreary place to dream about, don't you think? I mean of all the places for us to come back to…" She trailed off and turned back to her granddaughter, "I guess it's ironically poetic in a way…"

"Grandmother?" It took a while, but Emma finally processed that the other spirit in the castle was none other than Eva.

Eva looked to her granddaughter and smiled, "Hello, my dear."

The new Shadow Queen put her axe in its rightful spot before she moved to the woman, "What are you doing here?"

Eva's smile stayed the same, but a certain twinkle in her eyes faded, "I decided to come in and check on you; make sure everything was all right with my great-grandbaby…"

Emma rolled her eyes, "Regina wants to name her after you…" She shook her head.

Eva crossed her arms, "Should I feel as insulted as I do right now?"

This made the blonde Shadow Queen roll her eyes again, "I guess not, but I wanted to name her after the two of us…"

"The two of you…?"

"Remma." Emma said plainly, "It's got a nice ring to it."

Eva kept her arms crossed, "Eva does too."

The words made Emma grin, knowing they could argue for hours if they wanted. She smiled and looked around, "What's going on?" She sat in the spot she'd been chained to before and glanced over to her grandmother as she played with the shackles; she knew Eva couldn't just come for a visit. Eva had come for a reason.

The dark haired woman inhaled a suddenly ragged breath, "Another land is in trouble."

"Who's?" She stood up ready to take action, "Is it the Forbidden Mountain. Did something happen with the goons?"

The undead woman smiled softly, shaking her head, "No dear. Another land entirely…" She swallowed, "Have you been to your cave in a while?"

Emma knit her brows as she sat down once more, "I guess not, no…" She bit her lip as she thought, "Why?"

"It seems the gods saw something more in you than they did the other Pure Ones; that's why the originals grew extinct."

Emma crossed her arms, clenching, "What did they see?"

"They saw you protecting worlds. Realms." Eva gave her granddaughter a look of complete and utter pride before she sobered with her next words, "Your first test will be coming up soon. Hook and Bae will return with it when they get back from their 'round the realms' trip that in my opinion has taken much longer than it should." She shook her head.

Emma smiled at the ending of her Grandmother's speech, "Now, now, grandmother. They've sent post cards and are bringing us presents…"

Eva's smile didn't last. Her features were grave and she looked concerned, "Emma, you need to prepare for battle with this one. It's much bigger, smarter, faster, stronger than anything you've faced thus far." She swallowed hard, "Everyone is going to join you. But you're going to need to leave Regina and the baby here. You have to, for if you don't… Well, let's just say that it would be bad."

Emma started shaking her head. She couldn't stop, "But… No. I… I… I can't. We can't… It's not fair! The gods basically said—!"

"But they didn't. They didn't say anything of guaranteeing you happiness forevermore after taking care of Cora and Rumple. They helped you out last time because they knew that you were ready to give up; they knew they needed to let you and Regina conceive so that you would stop at nothing to rid all the lands and all the worlds of evil…"

Tears made their way down Emma's face. She slowly inhaled and quickly blew it out. She knew there was no arguing with her grandmother over the gods' fate for her.

"How long do I have?"

"A fortnight."

The blonde's chin quivered as she took the information in, "I won't even get to see my baby before I go…"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma jumped from her sleep. Regina was turned from her, snoring softly. She brushed her hand over her wife's short hair gently before she got out of bed. She had too much energy; she was riled and angry and crestfallen and heartbroken and down right pissed off.

She wiped the tears from her eyes, summoned her axe from the wall and put it horizontally a few feet above her head. She jumped and grabbed hold, then began doing pull-ups.

Regina woke up for the second time that night to the grunts and huffs of her wife. She glanced at the clock surprised that it had been such a small window of time that she fell asleep and woke up again. She sat up and looked around before her eyes settled on the form doing pull-ups in the moonlight. She waved her hand at either nightstand that lined the bed, magically turning on the lamps, "Emma? Darling, what are you doing?"

"I couldn't sleep. Did I wake you?" Emma dropped from her axe, waved her hand, telling it go back to its place on the wall, and moved around to sit on the bed. She leaned forward and kissed Regina's cheek then leaned down and kissed her stomach.

Regina stared at her, really taking her wife's disconcerting actions in. Sure, they were normal actions, giving her and the baby affection, but it was the way it was happening that had Regina scared. "Okay, what in Hades is going on?" She gave her wife a full stare down, "In our entire life together, you've never done pull-ups when you couldn't sleep. You've also never made that face."

"What face?"

"That face that I imagined you had when you thought you were going to die and never see me again."

Emma looked away from her wife, standing to give them further distance, "I saw Grandmother Eva." She gave a half smile as she turned to sit in a chair that faced the bed.

Regina nodded, "I know. You screamed in my ear then started talking to her."

Emma crossed her arms defensively. "She scared me…"

Regina smiled, but sobered as she took her wife in, "…Emma?"

"The gods built me different then they built the other Pure Ones; that's why the others went extinct before I came here. Everything we've been through up until now has apparently been a walk in a park."

Regina knit her brows, "What?"

"I'm supposed to save and help save basically everything. Lands, countries, continents, worlds, realms. I'm supposed to help with it all."

Regina's features were now pensive, contemplative as she looked off at the bed sheets. She had a couple fingers pressed against her bottom lip, keeping it in place while she bit at it.

"Hook and Bae are coming back with my next challenge… My _first_ challenge according to Grandmother Eva."

Regina's stare made it back to her wife, concern and anger in her eyes. "What? When?"

"Two weeks."

"But…" The brunette was calculating how much time that actually was, "That's not… That's…"

"Yeah. Grandmother Eva said that I'm supposed to leave…" Emma sucked in a harsh, ragged breath as tears suddenly blurred her vision, "She said that…" she swallowed trying to collect herself. She wiped her hands over her face and started a different direction, "Everyone is going to come along with me…" She looked down and back up, "You're staying here."

Regina scoffed a laugh, "Hardly…"

"No!" Emma's tone was hard. "You're staying here. Grandmother Eva said that you were going to stay here. She said if you didn't that you and the baby would die. I'll not have you die."

For a pregnant woman in her eighth month, Regina was quick to stand, anger lacing her tone, "And I'll not have _you_ die!" She turned as the tears came.

Emma stood, staring at her wife. She had tears in her eyes and wet cheeks, but she couldn't help but smile, "I won't." She shook her head as she walked over to her wife, "I'm not going to die. Not if I know that you and the baby are safe. If you stay here; I'll come back to you." She took Regina's face, now just as wet as her own. "I will always come back to you."

Regina held onto her wife's wrists as the blonde's hands moved to line her neck, Emma's thumbs stroking her cheek. "You promise?" She looked into Emma's eyes, her chin quivering, more tears ready to fall.

"I promise." Emma nodded leaning in to kiss her wife.

~0~0~0~0~0~

A letter had been sent out to everyone. Genie, Chip, Allison, Red, Belle, Artie, Gustave, Dunstan, Alexander, Patrick, Arely and a humanized Cordelia had come to the castle. Allison had been asked to stay behind to take care of Regina and the baby when the time came.

But, just as Emma suited up to wait for Hook and Bae's arrival, Regina let out a cry of pain in the bathroom. Emma ran in, sliding, catching herself on her knees, on the tile where her wife's water apparently broke. She looked up with wide eyes, "Is..?"

Regina stared at her wife from her spot at the counter, her knuckles white as the pain coursed through her, "Go get Allison…"

"Is..is she?" Emma needed to know.

Regina smiled, "Yes, Emma, she's coming. Go get Allison."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Everyone waited in the living room of the Shadow Queens. Artie, Arely and Cordelia leaned against a wall, and everyone aside from Gustave who had slid to the floor was sitting in chairs. Chip though was pacing; he could hear every grunt of pain the Shadow Queen made and it made him antsy. Red was calm enough and sat with her wife though she and her son would share looks as particularly filthy-mouthed cries came out of the original Shadow Queen's mouth.

A loud scream was heard and everyone stared at the door. After what seemed like forever, a small, loud, boisterous cry gave way.

Charming and Snow hugged each other then Snow turned to Maleficent, Aurora and her grandfather, hugging them as well. She and her Charming were now grandparents.

Everyone else started clapping. As the applause died and everyone settled with content, patient smiles on their faces, Allison came out. She looked to Charming and Snow, "They've asked for you." She smiled kindly as she walked to her boyfriend.

The former king and queen jumped up and quickly made their way in the Queens' bedchamber.

They saw their daughter back faced to them and didn't see a bundle in Regina's arms; they did see a loving smile on her face though. Emma turned around, making sure to hold the little girl's head carefully with one hand and held her body with the other, "Mom? Dad? I'd like you to meet your granddaughter." She spoke softly and looked at them with a smile on her face.

Snow and Charming stared at the bundle with tears in her eyes, "Oh, hello, precious." Snow reached out and touched the baby's cheek. She looked up to her daughter, "What's her name?" She asked looking over to her daughter-in-law.

Regina smiled, "We were hoping you could help us out with that. You both know what our choices are. And, we've decided that they will be her middle names…"

"We were hoping that you would name her?" Emma looked up at her parents.

Snow and Charming looked to each other for an entire fourth of a second before they looked back to the other women and together said, "Bailee."

Emma and Regina looked to each other approvingly.

"Bailee?" Regina asked, wanting to know why their answer came so quick.

Charming nodded, "It's what Emma's sister would have been named had she had one… A daughter will do as well…" He smiled.

"Oh, I can't stand it, come here, Bailee." Snow reached for her grandbaby.

"Careful. She's really little." Emma said as she handed the baby to her mother.

Snow gave her daughter a look, "I'm aware. This was you once…And I was Regina."

Emma gave her mother a disgusted look, not needing the visual, as she made her way back to her wife, sitting on the bed with her. She kissed Regina's temple and wrapped her arm around the brunette's shoulders.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Bailee had been presented to the group and they slowly made their way out of the Shadow Queens' chambers, leaving them with their little girl, leaving Emma with her girls for as long as they could.

It was a regretful knock that came to the door and a morose Chip and Allison that walked in.

"Bae and Hook just reached the castle gates." Chip looked down.

Emma looked up and nodded, "All right." She brought the bundle in her arms up to her face and kissed her daughter's cheeks and nose a few times. She then looked to Regina, who was waiting for her cue to lean in and kiss her lover.

This was when Hook and Bae barged into the room, "Regina, Emma. You need to help. Emma, only _you_ can…" Bae said seriously as he looked down at the bundle in Emma's arms; he looked up between the two women and back down.

Hook, though had looked to the other occupants in the room and after spotting Allison, he had to do a double take and shook his head. But as it registered that it was an Emma clone, he jumped and looked to the woman a third time.

"What…?" They both said at the same time as they pointed at the person and baby they were looking at. Bae came forward and stared at the baby closer; Hook looked between Emma and Allison.

Emma smiled, "Boys? Meet Allison." She pointed to the doctor, "And Bailee." She gestured to the baby.

Hook and Bae's attentions swapped, Bae pointed to Allison and Hook to the baby, "…What?!" They said again.

"Allison is Chip's girlfriend, my doppelganger and a very, very good doctor. Bailee is our baby, Bae? Meet your niece." She stood and gave the baby to Baelfire, letting him and Hook look her over.

She made her way back to her armor that she had long before taken off and started putting it on again, "Emma?" Regina reached out for her and the blonde quickly made her way back to their bed. "I love you." She whispered.

"I know. I love you too." The blonde nodded, reaffirming her response. She leaned in and kissed her wife before moving back to her armor.

"Emma…" Hook spoke softly as he walked over to her, a letter in his hand.

Emma glanced to Bae as he gave her daughter back to her wife.

"Emma, they need you. There is no one else."

The blonde Shadow Queen nodded, "I know. I knew you guys were coming and I knew I was going to have to leave them. I didn't know that I would get to see my little girl though." She swallowed hard before finishing the buckles and clips on her armor and putting on her belt.

This was when everyone else slowly started to file into the room again.

"If there was anyone else…"

"There's not. That's the point. I'm a new breed of Pure One. I'm made to travel through realms and worlds and lands and fight for the good. What you're bringing me is a test from the gods." She looked at him seriously before reaching her arm out, summoning her axe from its resting place. She took the letter from Hook's hand and read it over. She let out a calming breath.

Then she walked over to her wife and baby and kissed them both a few more times. "I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." Regina whispered back.

"I will always come back to you." Emma gave her one more kiss before she turned to everyone else, "Well folks. What say we save this Princess Abigail?"

**AN: Hope you enjoyed this ride; and please, if you are interested, be sure to read "The Alternate Epilogue of the Games."**

**For the last time, thoughts and feels? Please read and review.**


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